Chapter 5
Tourism, Digital Social Communication
and Development Discourse: A Case Study
on Chinese Tourists in Thailand
Abstract This paper explains tourism and cultural values amidst the globalization
period. It also discusses tourism for sustainability discourse and what sustainable
development means from a Thai Buddhist perspective. Since the tourism industry is
booming in Thailand, the influx of Chinese tourists has contributed to the Thai
economy. However, the cultural misunderstandings between Chinese tourists and
Thais have caused a lot of tensions. Via digital communication platforms—such as
You Tube,“Kon Dang Nang Clear,”“Tang Kon Tang Kid”from Amarin TV
discussions about Chinese tourists, and Face Book, of which the parody is“We love
Chinese Tourists”—Thais discuss their priorities: money versus cultural preserva-
tion as a means of development.
5.1 Introduction.........................................
From the official history of Thai tourism in Thailand (TAT 1995 ), tourism in
Thailand started when thefirst railroad system was introduced to Siam, the former
name of Thailand, in 1926. The tourism industry has become known internationally
from the mid 1960s when Thailand was the hub for rest and recreation (R&R) for
the American GIsfighting in Vietnam. It is undeniable that Thailand has over the
past decades become dependent on income from the tourism industry. Millions of
visitors roam the country each year to experience what Thailand has to offer:
beautiful beaches, mountainous areas, river basins, delicious food, friendly people,
and exotic lifestyles. As the cost of living in Thailand is relatively cheap, compared
with that of Western countries, many tourists are drawn, not only from Western
countries and Japan but also increasingly from China in recent years. Of the
26.5 million tourists who visited Thailand in 2013, 6.3 million came from Europe,
1.3 million from South Asia, and 1.2 million from the Americas. The majority
(16 million) came from East Asia. Among these East Asian tourists, 4.7 million
were Chinese, the others were Malay (2.9 million), Japanese (1.5 million), and
Indians (1 million) (Grossman 2015 : 122). As the purchasing power of Mainland
Chinese has become stronger, it is fair to say that Chinese tourism has boosted up
©Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2017
P. Malikhao,Culture and Communication in Thailand, Communication,
Culture and Change in Asia 3, DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-4125-9_5
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