Promsaka Na Sakolnakorn Thongphon’s research while affiliated with Prince of Songkla University and other places

This article aims to examine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for tourism in the Roi Kaen Sarn Sin (RKSS) cluster, using a qualitative approach to consider religious tourism in northeastern Thailand. Semi-structured interviews were the main data collection tools, and key informants of this study included officers from both government and private sectors related to tourism in northeastern Thailand. The results found that religious tourism took place within this area a long time ago. Elements of religious tourism in the RKSS cluster include 1) attractions, 2) accessibility, 3) accommodations, 4) safety, 5) activities supporting tourism, and 6) social issues. Opportunities and weaknesses of the provincial clusters, from the point of view of religious tourism, can be classified into several issues, including infrastructure and transportation, tourism attractions, religious activities, networks, and local beliefs; the development strategies for increasing potential for religious tourism are 1) transportation coverage through public transport and 2) local sectors that keep area monastery histories.

The objective of this study was to examine local community participation in the conserve candle festival for sustainability, and to study development guidelines for local community participation in the festival. We used quantitative and qualitative methods. For the qualitative method we provided 400 questionnaires and analyzed them using mean, standard deviation, and Chi-Square tests. For the qualitative approach, we used an invited focus group, including an academician, a businessman, government agencies, and a local philosopher, to discuss and identify development guidelines, and we performed data analysis using descriptive analysis. The results indicate that local community participation in the conserve candle festival for sustainability is important, since the conservation and restoration of the Ubon Ratchathani candle festival is a cultural tourism attraction. However, the local government invited residents to a candle festival meeting at a low level (S.D. = .828); participants in planning (S.D. = .785); had knowledge and understood history (S.D. = .794); community was subsidized from government (S.D. = .811), community acknowledged conservation and restoration (S.D. = .923); government emphasis on community participation in conservation and restoration (S.D. =1.06); and community participation in the transfer of historical and traditional knowledge to the public (S.D. = .756). The guidelines for local community participation in the conserve candle festival for sustainability iterates six goals: 1) transfer knowledge of local culture to local youth; 2) encourage the museum to be the center of local cultural learning; 3) print pictures and descriptions of the candle festival in student notebooks; 4) transfer knowledge of the candle sculptors and carvers to youths; 5) the provincial government should support local philosophers in candle sculpture and transfer their skills and knowledge to local youth; 5) encourage the establishment of the temple as a candle festival learning center; and 6) encourage community enterprises to produce goods and products that communicate the candle festival

The objective of this study is to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in tourism development in the city of Khon Kaen, Thailand. We performed in-depth interviews with 21 key participants, and we conducted a focus group by inviting eight participants to discuss the potential strengths and weaknesses in tourism development in Khon Kaen. We then performed a SWOT analysis and content analysis to analyze the data. As a result, we determined that problems and threats that affect tourism development in Khon Kaen require attention because tourism could generate a large amount of income. Because Khon Kaen has many opportunities and strengths that should attract tourists, local government agencies should position notice signs concerning conservation at tourism attractions and promote awareness of recycling among residents. Agencies need to provide education on the value of recycling and encourage reusing recyclable materials. In addition, this research will aid the local government in understanding how to develop a province-wide strategic plan and provide guidance to policymakers on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of tourism in cities that are similar Khon Kaen.

The objectives of this study are to study the level of satisfaction of older people with social welfare policy, to study the problems of social welfare policy, and to study public policy guidelines for social welfare in a community in Pitsanulok province. We did quantitative and qualitative methods for 3,701 questionnaires, interviews of 29 participants and a focus group of 15 experts to discuss policy guidelines. From the study, we found that older people were satisfied with social welfare policy at a moderate level such as social security, knowledge and education. However, the problems of social welfare policy such as the monthly payment assistance is not enough in the current economy, government’s lack of budget, and not allowing government agencies to take care of older people, so local government should create a department for service and support older people and also train government officers to have more knowledge about how to take care of older people. In addition, the government should train more healthy volunteers in communities to take care of and help to transfer older people to hospitals.

The purpose of this study is to study the successful business strategies and the guidelines for the management strategies of supply chain management of local small and medium enterprises (SME) construction shops. We use the McKinsey 7S model for the conception of this study by providing 400 questionnaires to participants and we also used focus groups for the management guideline. From the study we found that of the seven strategies (7S) in the model (structure, strategy, systems, styles, skill, staff, and shared values), most entrepreneurs scored highly in strategy; however, most entrepreneurs scored low in several areas: working with software applications, lack of outside training, and most entrepreneurs maintain command as the owner and do not give authority to others. In addition, the Thai government should create a policy by collaborating with Lao PDR to reduce some barriers of international trade to help SME construction shops in Thailand.

Lack of public transportation and traffic jams are major issues in many tourist destinations. In this study, we present the tourism-related problems of Khon Kaen, Thailand, and provide guidelines to develop its tourism industry. We performed in-depth interviews with 30 tourists, 20 local residents, and 5 government agencies in the Khon Kaen municipality. In addition, we did a small group discussion by inviting 5 tourists, 5 local residents, 5 government agencies, and 3 academicians to discuss ways to improve tourist transportation in Khon Kaen. From the study, we found that Khon Kaen lacks public transportation. We also found that, although the city can be reached by air, the current flight options are not enough to meet the needs of passengers; furthermore, the city’s rail transportation needs to be developed, and there is no municipal bus service around the city or between the city and the airport. To develop transportation guidelines for the tourism industry, local governments, especially in the Khon Kaen municipality, should host an initiative and bring all stakeholders together to solve the problem. In addition, a city bus system needs to be developed immediately, and a public transportation network that links to tourist attractions is also important because it is difficult for tourists to access attractions if they do not have private transportation. Finally, public facilities such as toilets, as well as walkways for disabled people and elderly, also need to be developed, but with environmentally sustainable designs.