culture. Therefore, while traveling, one must know the culture of the host
country.- Authoritarian culture: Both Thai and Chinese share authoritarian characteristics
in their culture and social system. Warnings or giving advice must come from
elders. Chinese have lived under the polity of the Communist Party for many
years. That makes them accept authority, such as police, more. Ekachai (July 5
2015 ) states boldly that Thai culture is deeply rooted in militarism, racism,
hierarchy, and patriarchy. - Saving face and losing face: This is a common characteristic of Asians. Both
Thais and Chinese share this identity. - Instant gratification: This is the consequence of mediatization. A new kind of
individualism is the result of digital media usage, such as a short attention span,
high-risk taking, experimenting, and self-expression (Elliot and Lemert 2006 ).
The symbolic representation of this new individualism is manifested in the
taking of“selfies” and the popularity of Instagram, Facebook and Line in
Thailand, and their equivalents in China. In 2014, the volume of social sharing
in China went up by 65% and the top ten social networking sites in China are,
for instance, Sina Weibo (a hybrid of Twitter and Facebook Chinese
microblogging Website), Renren (a Chinese version of Facebook), and Kaixin
001 (a cloned Facebook application for the Chinese market) (Sallee 2015 ).
5.2.8 Answering the Research Questions
5.2.8.1 Does Chinese Tourism in Thailand Meet the Ecotourism
Standard, and Why?
By all means, it does not meet the ecotourism standard. Thinking along the mod-
ernization paradigm and“making a quick buck”is shortsighted. As there is more
demand than supply; meaning that there are more tourists than the sightseeing sites
can accommodate. The crowded tourists in a limited area, such as the temple of the
Emerald Buddha or the Royal Palace in Bangkok, can damage the delicate antiques,
decorations, or ancient walls. One key informant explained an incident when
invaluable pieces of art were broken by Chinese tourists. Moreover, for the past
20 years, the management of the host country has not been efficient in screening the
quality of tourists (i.e., the zero-dollar tours) nor unqualified and unregistered
guides from China. Uneducated tourists do not help conserve the national heritage
nor the environment of the host country. Littering and graffiti scribing are unlawful.
Warning signs in Chinese and leaflets have been distributed for quite a while, but to
not much avail. When natural resources or historical sites are damaged, there would
not be more tourists coming. This is an example of cultural erosion.
5.2 Literature Review and Theoretical Perspectives 83