Proceedings of the 1st Arts & Humanities Conference, Venice

A STUDY ON CULTURE AND WAY OF LIFE SUSTAINABLE OF THE PEOPLE IN KOH SAMUI

WITCHUTA HAICHAROEN

Abstract:

Culture plays an important and vital role in attracting visitors and tourists to travel to various tourist attractions, in order to explore and learn the cultural context of the area. If the area has the difference of high cultural diversity or cultural context from the other usual tourist environment or habitat, it would challenge and stimulate the curiosity to go high as well. Therefore, the objective of this research was to explore cultural and way of life sustainable of the people in Koh Samui, Surat Thani province, Thailand. This study was designed as a qualitative research, using non-structural interview, in-depth interview, focus group discussion, and communities meeting. This research used sample size of 4 groups, which were local community groups, local entrepreneur such as transportation, accommodation, restaurant, tour operation, souvenir shop and spa business, tourist at Koh Samui as well as supported institute in cultural tourism at Koh Samui. The study found that traditional community context consisted of the general Thai social that the way of life affiliated family, temple and associate with social groups by means of family is important to supported family members. Agriculture, fishery and merchandise are the main occupation of the community. Koh Samui has a personality and culture of its own. The first settlers that landed at Koh Samui were Chinese traders and Muslim fishermen. On Koh Samui, the family is an extended family. Tourism became the main source of income of Koh Samui. Investments of infrastructure and tourism facilities are rapidly expanded to be beneficial trade of land ownership for both of Thai and foreigner to do the business. Nevertheless, the growth of tourism city without the high-quality management could affected cultural and traditional to be adjust of tourism industry, speedily destroyed ecosystem, historic site dilapidation, and vanish of Koh Samui unique.

Keywords: culture, way of life, sustainable

DOI: 10.20472/AHC.2016.001.007

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