Promoting Knowledge Management in Thai Cultural Tourism Development along the Bang Yai Canal, Bang Yai District, Nonthaburi Province

Abstract

This study aimed to examine and propose guidelines for promoting knowledge management in the development of Thai cultural tourism along the Bang Yai Canal in Bang Yai District, Nonthaburi Province. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was employed, in which qualitative and quantitative data were collected concurrently. Qualitative data were obtained through in-depth interviews, observations, and focus group discussions with 60 stakeholders, while quantitative data were collected from surveys of community members and tourists, totaling 200 respondents. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, whereas qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis.

The findings revealed that the Bang Yai Canal area possesses significant potential in both tangible and intangible cultural resources, which are closely connected to the traditional riverside way of life and can be further developed into cultural tourism attractions. However, knowledge management in the area remains limited, particularly in terms of the absence of a centralized database system and concrete mechanisms for knowledge transfer. Community members expressed the highest level of need for tourism development ( = 4.60, S.D. = 0.71), while tourists’ overall perceptions of the tourism area were at a high level ( = 4.08, S.D. = 0.71). The study also developed a seven-step knowledge management process and designed a systematic framework for knowledge transfer, together with a practical knowledge management handbook. These outputs can serve as operational tools for tourism development and for linking cultural capital to sustainable community-based cultural tourism development.