Paper Title
Development of Historical Tourism: A Case Study of Bangkok National Museum, Thailand
Abstract
The objective of this research is to study the operating conditions and developmental problems and obstacles in
development of historical tourism within Thailand as well as presenting development guidelines for historical tourism at the
Bangkok National Museum, Thailand. This research will utilise qualitative research, including in-depth interview method as
applied to data collection, with the key interviewees being key executive and operating officers in the Bangkok National
Museum, tourists, tourism industry entrepreneurs and community leaders in the Phra Nakhon District (Bangkok) to represent a
total of 70 persons. Data was analysed by utilising descriptive statistics, compiling of the acquired data. Studied phenomenon
were examined through a determined analytical framework of analysis. This analytical framework considers four primary
elements: finance and resources available to institutions, the level of service quality provided by the institutions, network
learnings and development of institutions and the participation process of institutions. The research’s findings indicate that the
National Museum’s operating condition could be developed to be a profitable historical tourism location and the
developmental problems and obstacles were primarily issues of limited budgets for studies and research, conservation and
collection of the important antiques, while tourism services and facilities had not yet been able to create a positive impression
or experience for tourists, management lacked the facilitation of learning and developmental network in the group of the
intellectuals or students and new generation youths with few participating intourism locations or the development of people or
sites within local areas. The guidelines for the development of progressive historical tourism development within the National
Museum is part of a preparation of master plan for development that covers historical tourism and its wider industry, with an
emphasis on the development and improvement of goods and services along with other supporting tourism infrastructure and
support in various areas such as service quality of individual officers, landscape and accessibility improvement in physical
sites, improved understanding of contextual data content, linkage of international history and the addition of public relations
via old and new media, parking areas and other logistical improvements, article cleanliness, support forcommunities and
people to understand and cooperate in creating identity and heritage of the locality.
Index Terms - Development of Tourism, Bangkok National Museum, Historical Tourism