GUIDELINES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHIANG SAEN DISTRICT OF THAILAND AS A TOURISM LOGISTICS HUB IN THE GREATER MEKONG SUB-REGION (GMS)

Abstract

The research aims to identify the possibility and ideal potentials of Chiang Saen District of
Thailand as a tourism logistics hub in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) and to provide
guideline development. This is qualitative research by a case study in Chiang Saen District.
The data were collected from 11 key informants who leaders and business operators are by
in-depth interview, small group discussion and observation from April to May 2018. The
sampling technique is purposive sampling. The data analyzing process is involved with
preparing, segmenting, coding, categorizing and thematizing by software and content
analysis. The findings show that the ideal potential of Chiang Saen to be tourism logistics hub
in GMS are high potential tourism resources, better immigration service, good transport
network, the capability of local people and organization support. Chiang Saen can be a
tourism logistics hub with its advantages of geography, tourism resources, and infrastructure,
the area is still needed to be developed in multi-dimensions. The finding imply that
guidelines for development Chiang Saen as tourism logistics hub are the readiness of
infrastructure and people, holistic development, the set-up of organization, providing safety
and service complex, providing ethics and laws, and reaching to a standard of tourism and
service. The results may be applied for the development model for Chiang Saen and others.