THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PUBLIC RELATIONS MEDIA FOR SUSTAINABLE ECOTOURISM PROMOTING: A CASE STUDY OF MON COMMUNITY IN PATHUM THANI PROVNCE

Abstract

This research aimed 1) to study on the readiness and potential of tourism resources; 2) to study on the condition of problems and needs to use the a public relations media for the sustainable ecotourism; and, 3) to develop the public relations media for sustainable ecotourism in Mon community, Pathum Thani Province. Research methodology had been divided into two forms as follows: 1) Quantitative research that collected data via the questionnaires from 400 residences in Pathum Thani Province. Data analysis was conducted through using the statistical software packages. The statistics applied in data analysis were percentage, average, and standard deviation; and 2) Qualitative research that collected data via in-depth interview with the community leaders, the government units in Mon community, tourism business entrepreneurs, and 15 people with Mon race in the community. The Inductive approach was used for data analysis and interpretation. It was found from the research results that tourism resources in Pathum Thani Province in the part of Mon community were considered to have highly potential with the outstanding on its customs and cultures, ways of living, history, archaeological sites and antiquities in addition, the very interesting travel routes. However, it was found that there was the issue when people in general, especially those who lived in Pathum Thani Province themselves still perceived less about Thai Mon ethnicity. More than 31.5 percent of the questionnaire respondents said they had no idea that there was a Mon community in Pathum Thani. Therefore, the guideline for public relations media development for sustainable ecotourism promoting at the initial phrase shall begin with attention and interest raising. The media prepared by the researcher was the Video media disseminating the lifestyle of the Mon community to publicize in social media and printed media in form of brochures thus, to promote for the interesting tourism routes in Mon community. The results evaluation form media specialists and 200 of target audiences found that the overall efficiency of Video media had the average of 4.10 or in high level and the overall efficiency of the printed media had the average of 3.81 which was also in high level.