Strengthening the Image of Thailand’s Three Southernmost Provinces
DASTA emphasizes community-based tourism as a tool for improving quality of living, developing economic opportunities, and creating cross-cultural understanding. The organization seeks to strengthen the image of Thailand’s three southernmost provinces.
The lack of public confidence on the circumstances of the three southernmost provinces of Thailand has deterred a significant number of tourists from visiting the region. These provinces, however, possess beautiful natural resources and rich cultural diversity. To strengthen the region’s tourism industry, DASTA initiated campaigns to develop the area into a community-based tourism site.
Watcharee Churaksa, Assistant Director of The Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (Public Organization), or DASTA, underscores her organization’s practical and tangible policies for developing tourism in various regions – especially in the three southernmost provinces of Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat. DASTA seeks to develop the region into a community-based tourism site by applying multilateral collaboration strategies and implementing tourism management plans in the 14 target communities under the three provinces. The provinces of Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat are rich with local resources – characterized by environmental abundance and cultural diversity. Over the past years, however, tourists have not visited the region in large numbers due to its image.
Miss Watcharee Churaksa
Since the year 2018, DASTA was assigned to enter the area to develop community-based tourism with the locals. The objectives of the development include using tourism as a tool for improving the quality of living, strengthening community collaboration and engagement, creating economic opportunities, cultivating cross-cultural understanding, and improving the public image of tourism in the three southernmost provinces of Thailand.
DASTA collaborated with a variety of organizations both at the local and central administrative levels, such as the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Thailand Science Research and Innovation (TSRI), the ThaiHealth Promotion Foundation, Songkhla Rajabhat University, Yala Provincial Administration, Pattani Provincial Administration, Narathiwat Provincial Administration, and the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Center (SBPAC).
All organizations signed a memorandum of cooperation to jointly develop sustainable community-based tourism in the region. The member organizations shall integrate developmental efforts since the upstream area, continuing joint efforts during field visits to assess communities’ competencies and the establishment of developmental plans with target communities. Moreover, the organizations shall support community development by participating in various activities, including visits to DASTA’s model designated areas, developing tourism programs, designing the public image of tourist attractions, strengthening communication, enhancing creative tourism activities, testing tourism activities hosted by businesses, presenting tourism activities to quality markets, publicizing community-based tourist attractions, and evaluating developmental results. During the years 2018-2020, DASTA and network organizations developed sustainable community-based tourism at the following 14 communities
Five communities in Yala province: Chulabhorn Pattana 9 Community; Chulabhorn Pattana 10 Community; Ta Phayao Community; Aiyerweng Community; and Raman Community
Five communities in Pattani province: Sai Khao Community; Bangphu Community; Ta Lo Ka Po Community, Bana Community, and Yarung Community
Four communities in Narathiwat province: Wat Cholatara Singhe Community; Chulabhorn Pattana 12 Community; Golden Mountain Community; Yakang Floating Market Community
After three years of development, the communities gained increased effectiveness in local resource management for tourism growth. Moreover, the communities enjoyed a growth in tourism revenue, received standardized approval for its community-based tourism activities; and gained increased publicity among tourists. The communities are equipped and prepared to connect with major tourism attractions, which were also developed in tandem with these communities.
Chulabhorn Pattana 9 Community, for instance, is situated in Aiyerweng subdistrict, Betong district, Yala province. The community is strategically located in close proximity with many major tourist attractions, such as the Sky Walk for viewing the “Sea of Mist,” hot springs, hotels, and famous restaurants of Betong renowned by Thai and Malaysian tourists.
The Betong Airport is also undergoing development and scheduled to officially open soon. The airport will provide traveling convenience for tourists, providing greater accessibility to the tourism attractions of the region. The communities have been preparing themselves to become the leading provider of tourism activities and accommodation. Tourists who prefer serenity and nature will be able to select itineraries provided by the communities. This generates concrete and tangible income distribution from major tourist attractions to the surrounding local communities.
In the year 2020, DASTA delivered the results of community-based tourism development to local organizations for management. As Assistant Secretary of the Tourism Development Committee under the Multicultural Tourism Development Zone of Thailand’s Southern Border Provinces, DASTA shall continue to liaise and support all efforts to sustainably strengthen the tourism industry of Thailand’s three southernmost provinces.
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