THE IDENTITY OF THAI BUDDHIST TEMPLES, TOURISTS’ OPINION AND SATISFACTION AFFECTING REPEAT-VISITATION OF FOREIGN TOURISTS

Abstract

                The purposes of this research were (1) to study the identity of Thai Buddhist temple, opinion of foreign tourists, and foreign tourists’ satisfaction affecting repeat-visitation of foreign tourists on Buddhist religious tourism, and (2) to study the causal relationships between Thai Buddhist temple, opinion of foreign tourists, and foreign tourists’ satisfaction affecting repeat-visitation of foreign tourists on Buddhist religious tourism. The research sample consisted of 300 foreign tourists visiting the nine royal monastery temples in Rattanakosin Island area of Bangkok Metropolis. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics including the frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation; while statistics employed for hypothesis testing was the structural equation model (SEM).
                  The findings revealed that (1) identity of Thai Buddhist temple had direct and indirect relationships with opinion and satisfaction of foreign tourists; while opinion of foreign tourists toward Buddhist religious tourism had direct relationship with foreign tourists’ satisfaction, and opinion of foreign tourists on Buddhist religious tourism had indirect relationship with repeat-visitation of foreign tourists through foreign tourists’ satisfaction; moreover, foreign tourists’ satisfaction had direct and positive relationship with repeat-visitation of foreign tourists; and (2) the developed causal relationship model was conformed with the empirical data defined (GFI = 0.994, AGFI = 0.982, NFI = 0.995, IFI = 0.999, CFI = 0.999, X2 = 1.334, X2/df = 1.265, RMSEA = 0.016, P = 0.124) and elements of the model were valid and had predicting ability at the good and acceptable level.