ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF KHAM CHANOT TOURISM: A CASE STUDY OF NON MUEANG VILLAGE, BAN MUANG SUB-DISTRICT, BAN DUNG DISTRICT, UDON THANI PROVINCE

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to study the level of economic impacts on household in the village of Kham Chanot. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the village’s key informants was used with 170 household. In 2004, Tourism Authority of Thailand had promoted Kham Chanot tourism as Unseen Thailand campaign. Then, the area located around Kham Chanot were developed for tourism. Kham Chanot tourism became well known and attracted a lot of tourists who visited during 2016 – 2017. Jobs, occupations and income of villagers were created by Kham Chanot tourism. Eventually, Kham Chanot Island were flooded in the middle of 2017. Ever since, the tourists had been decreasing. Kham Chanot tourism resulted in household’s occupation changed from agriculture to trading in tourism; such as food and beverage selling for tourists. Tourism reduced household’s unemployment and increased savings but had no effect on household’s debts, land ownership and outbound labor migration. There was increasing inbound migration from the other village for tourism business. The impacts of Kham Chanot tourism showed that there were positive impact at a medium level on income and occupation, investment and production. Negative impacts at a medium level on prices of land, incomes and living costs and economic benefits. Household representatives had satisfaction on economic benefits from the tourism at a high level.