Tourism Destination of a Cultural Paradise: Thailand - Report Example

TOURISM DESTINATION: THAILAND: A CULTURAL PARADISE Customer Inserts His/Her Name Customer Inserts Grade Course Customer Inserts Tutor’s Name Insert Date Here (Day, Month, Year) MAP OF THAILAND (Source: Online) Introduction Thailand is one of the major tourist attractions in South East Asia and located in its center surrounded by Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Andaman Sea, and Gulf of Thailand. With its multi faceted face, natural environment, beaches, under seas, hospitality and warmth of the people and its legends make it the most unforgettable experience. For the tourists, besides moving around amidst the ancient, it is an incentive destination. According to Urry, “Tourists are looking for difference and unusual, a relatively simple search for the pleasure of new and surprising” (Franklin, 23) and Thailand offers the same. Thailand attracts more then 10 million travellers every year from all over the world. The essay below is the exploration of Thailand a cultural tourist destination and its forte that pulls tourists towards it. It emphasizes on the efforts of the tourism industry to meet the needs of the tourists. Cultural tourism The culture of Thailand is that of hospitality and so are its people. The uniqueness of the place lies in its diversity with the cultures from India, China, Cambodia, and the remaining areas of Southeast Asia making their place in the land of Thailand but the central to it is their belief in Theravada Buddhism, and is their core identity. Thai Buddhism has originated to incorporate many regional beliefs emerging from Hinduism, animism as well as worshiping ancestors. Islam is prevalent in the Southern most areas of Thailand. Many ethnic groups also are the part of the population of Thailand and have formed their own traditional way of life. Chinese also are the part of society of Thailand especially in the areas around Bangkok. They have very important role in the development of the Thai society and hold significant positions in the economic and political arenas. Their greeting style is wai and is offered first by youngest among the two. At Chaing Mai, efforts have been made to preserve the customs and craft of the Thailand. How Thai was originated? In literature, the meaning of Thailand is “Free Land” or “land of the free people”. Thailand has never been under subjugation of the European powers, maintaining its freedom bringing sophistication and delicacy in its culture since centuries. Earlier known as Siam, Thailand has made its unique place since the beginning of civilization in Asia but there is a controversy on the how Thais were originated? Some hold the opinion that originally Thais were from northwestern Szechuan in China and only later they arrived in the Southern most part of China that now constitutes Thailand. These people were divided into two groups and one group made their settlements in the Northern part and created kingdom of “Lan Na” and the others settled in far South but later were defeated by the Khmers to form the kingdom of “Sukhothai”. (Cummings, Blond, Konn, Warren & Williams, 35) In 1939, late Field Marshall Plaek Pibulsonggram changed the name to Thailand as the Field Marshal thought that Thailand word reflects the ethnicity of the area more than Siam but the changed name was an attempt by Marshall to severe the links with the past and initiate a modern era under his autocratic regime. The name Thai means land of free people but ironically people were not free under his autocratic rule. History and Legend of Thailand Sukhothai in 13th century was the first independent capital of Thailand and gave to the world Buddhist art and architecture. The remains of Sukhothai had been preserved as a historical park, and the most important place for tourists to visit. When the power of Sukhothai reduced, a new capital was born along the banks of the Chao Phraya. The place came to be known as Ayutthaya. It was one of the largest and economically important cosmopolitan cities in Southeast Asia. Traders were not only arriving from China, Japan and other Asian countries but also as far from distant lands of Europe, and brought along with them their own cultures which got mixed with the culture of Thailand. Ayutthaya was also destroyed by enemy in 1767 and the remains of the same still attract tourists who arrived there from Bangkok through their conventional river route. Now the capital of Thailand is Bangkok. There are many legends associated with Thailand but the most important among the legends is that of the legend of Jatukam Ramathep. The story dates back 1700 years ago. King who was ruling the Central Siam had two sons: the elder named Jatukam and the other was Ramathep. After many years of warfare, King managed to conquer Sri Lanka and make it part of his Kingdom. It was popular about the King that he was in possession of the sacred treasure, but the truth was, this treasure was the holy relic of Lord Buddha. When the king began his journey towards his newly conquered land, he gave the task for the protection of relics to two of his princes. After few days, princes came to know that their enemies were making plans to get hold of the relics. They informed the King about the plan in Sri Lanka. The King instructed Princes to bring the relics through sea to Sri Lanka. When their journey was just halfway, a thunderstorm struck and their ships were sunk, except for the two princes the remaining of the crew drowned. The princes swam to an unknown island, but now they were without any sea transport and therefore it was almost impossible for them to take relics to Sri Lanka. They offered their prayers to relics begging it to guide them to start their fresh life in this new land and to give protection to the relics. Later a temple was built on this holy land and with their hard work and dedication they built a strong and prosperous city on the land. This gave the peace and better life for the natives. In the remembrance of the princes, they named the place Nakhon Si Thammarat and now this place is a part of the Southern Thailand and the temple, which was built by the two Princes, is now popularly known as Wat Mahathat. Many people paid their visit to Wat Mahathat in search of the relics buried by the princes and soon found the relics buried at the Wat and the stone carving on which was engraved the stories of the two princes. Later people made the princes their deities by combining their name into one Tao Jatukam Ramathep. In those days, Tao was addressed to noble ones and it is a belief among the local people that whosoever worships Tao Jatukam Ramathep would be blessed with happy and prosperous life. (Gosling, 43) Natural Environment -Thailand As regards Natural environment is concerned, Thailand is lacking but it is abundant in the species of flora and fauna and the forest area is divided into two types of forest areas, Monsoon forest and Rain forest. The forests covers 25% of total land of Thailand’s. The countries are adorned with varieties of flora like fruit trees, bamboo, tropical hardwoods and more than 27,000 flowering species, and 10,000 vascular plants species. The National floral symbol of Thailand is ‘the Orchid’. Climate of Thailand Thailand has a warm and a tropical climate with an annual monsoon, and rains between the months of June to October and a dry season in the remaining year. Temperature remains between 75 to 92 degrees Fahrenheit, with the high most temperature is between March to May and the lower most temperature between the months December and January. Major features of Thailand The main cities of Thailand are buzzing with traffic, skyscraper buildings, entertainments and many offers that any urban life can offer. The life of Thai people and their culture can be appreciated in its villages. Every village of its Northern part is surrounded by paddy fields. Rice is the most important and a staple crop of Thailand. People in villages live in bamboo houses with the roofs made of grass or leaves. Rice and fish constitute their main food and naturally their main occupation is fishing and agriculture. The History of Tourism in Thailand The Tourism organization of Thailand was established in 1960 with the main aim of turning Thailand into tourism destination. During 1960s, Thailand had less than 100,000 visitors but it was expected that this would soon change as the Vietnams war continued; Thailand was the only place for change, rest and recreation for soldiers. Prostitution as an occupation increased and it’s large clientele naturally were tourists; with this there was the growth of sex politics, the concept which took shape by the end of the cold war, and other South Eastern cities which were serving as a bases for the cold war were too affected. Somerset Maugham, who was famous as a novelist and short story writer and was also serving as an agent for the British army during World War I and II, received a calling card from one of the street woman during his visit to Thailand. On the card was written: “Oh, gentleman, sir, Miss Pretty Girl welcome you Sultan Turkish Bath, gentle polite massage, put you in dreamland.(É) You come now! Miss Pretty Girl want you.”(Silva, Online) Inspite of the fact that the Tourism Authority of Thailand did not see prostitution as a way to attract the tourists yet the Thai government also cannot deny this fact that prostitution is unavoidable. Though the government passed Prostitution Prohibition Act in 1960, but after six years it modified it bringing in Entertainment Places Act, with sufficient loopholes to give green signal to coffee shops and restaurants to also start prostitution in their list of menus. Now there are several puns added with the name of the capital for e.g. “Thighland”. (Allyn, 16) By 1986 Thailand had increased their revenue exchequer through tourism. Later, Thailand saw some drop in the tourism and owed this reason to the prostitution then they took upon the initiative to look for other alternatives to increase tourism whereby there were included new golf courses that could be the alternative sites for tourists. Yet prostitution instead of declining continued to increase and is found in many hotels, brothels, nightclubs, massage parlous, bars, barber shops, parks, karaoke lounges and even golf courses. On the top there are private member clubs, getting them sell in the glossiest magazines and in the bottom are locked brothels where the women and young girls are captivated and slaved. Another problem that Thailand is facing is the growth of the commerce centers known as Chiang Mai and Bangkok. But overall the tourism industry is on the rise and showing signs of expansion beyond its carrying capacity. Main Tourists attractions Thailand has many tourist’s attractions, and these include sites for diving, sandy beaches, many tropical islands, archaeological sites, museums, tribe in hilly areas, and nature has provided with flora and bird life, and various sites for historical importance like palaces and World heritage. The major attractions are the world’s largest Buddhist monument at Nakhon Pathom, the famous bridge over the River Kwai built during World War II, and, on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, the lively seaside resort of Pattaya. There are many beautiful beaches, and clear sands, picturesque environment, azure blue waters and peaceful surroundings provide the tranquility desired and enjoyment of the beauty of nature. The islands are also the most scenic and beautiful and are blessed with natural beauty and hundreds of thousands of visitors every year choose them as their destinations. Thailand kingdom is equally famous for its abundant and enjoyable nightlife and has some of the best clubs entertaining visitors with the latest music. World-class music venues and events are hosted at the islands of Thailand and even at regional capitals like Chiang Mai. Thailand can also be considered as a paradise of shopping with Bangkok offering several shopping malls towards the down town areas offering different kinds of international and local brands. Then the most popular is Chatuchak Weekend Market considered to be the largest market in the world. The other markets are Pratunam Market and other night markets like in Silom area and on the Khaosan Road. These are especially popular among tourists. There are also very beautiful Floating markets and the “Sunday Evening Walking Street Market”, on the Rachadamnoen road inside the old city is held every Sunday, besides others, the “Night Bazaar” is main attraction for tourists. The island has also become the most important place to enjoy their festivals; enjoying water-splashing Songkran and the main festivals to enjoy are the Elephant Round-up in Surin and the Phi Ta Khon festival in Dan Sai. But for many people, its friendly people and easy-going atmosphere is more than enough reason to visit. Gastronomies Thailand’s main attracting feature is its food culture. Its main food items are fresh rice, fish, and vegetables having a flavour of garlic, black pepper, and nam pla, including fish sauce. The most popular food items are also fresh fruits, comprising other basic diet of Sukhothai. Thai herbs and spices are also world famous. Its delicacy is Som tam. Transport Thailand is well connected via rail, road routes and air and is very competent and easy. Various islands and cities are very well connected to each other with all the means of transport. All the means of transport are easily available within the city too. Now the Thailand constitutes 33 commercial airports, among which seven are operating international flights while the remaining 26 are operating domestic services. The most important International Airport of Thailand is Bangkok International Airport also known as Don Muang. The land transport system has 79,180 km of highways connecting to all regions of Thailand. Rail transport is also considered best in Thailand. It has 4,180 kilometers of meter gauge railway tracks excluding the mass transit lines in Bangkok. The history of railways is also interesting. The interest for the development in the railways grew when Queen Victoria gave a model of Railways as a gift to King Rama IV. Pull Factors Pull factors are several features and facilities encouraged by the Government and tourism department to attract tourists towards their destinations. These forces are various attractions, several facilities for making tourists to visit their place for most pleasant experiences. Culture of Thailand is a mix culture having an influence from India and other parts of South East Asia including China. The main attraction of Thailand is Thailand Cuisine, its various religious and historical places of archeological interests, its festivals, shopping arcades, markets and over and above its friendly people. The Impact of Tourism on Culture of Thailand The large influx of tourism has created a damaging impact on the resorts disturbing their environment. It has forced the government to give initiative to ‘ecotourism’ and the main idea behind is the enjoyment of the nature and the green environment. According to analyzers, Thailand has become over dependent on Tourism. Foreign investors are pouring in their money only in tourism and as a result there is an emergence of big hotels and commercial places. As a result the basic social and economic fabric of Thailand is getting shattered and along with it many criminal activities are also emerging their ugly head notwithstanding flesh trade and drug trafficking and over and above economic disparity. Conclusion The growth of international tourism had a great impact on the economy of Thailand. With its reasonable prices, its excellent beaches, and climate is enough to attract tourists to its soils. The development in the various arenas of the tourism industry gave further boost to industries. Tourism has helped in enhancing the culture of Thailand and spread it across the world but on the other hand the local culture and tradition has been commodified. With the growth of the hotels and infrastructures, there is an emergence of new and important destinations. WORKS CITED Allyn, Eric. “The Men of Thailand: Revisited”. Bua Luang Pub. Co., 1991 Cummings, Joe, Blond, Becca, Konn, Morgan, Warren, Matt & Williams, China. “Thailand”. London: Lonely Planet, 2005. Franklin, Adrian. “TOURISM: An Introduction”. London: SAGE, 2003. Gosling, Betty. “Sukhothai: Its History, Culture, and Art”. New York: Oxford University Press, 1991. Silva, Alex Da. “Thailand's Tourism Industry” Horizons 2002 a journal of cultural issues (Internet) Available: http://bosp.kcc.hawaii.edu/Horizons/Horizons2002/Thailand_tourindusty.html, October 5, 2008. Map Kingdom-of-Thailand.com. “Map of Thailand”. Internet. Available: http://www.kingdom-of-thailand.com/, October 5, 2008. Read More