ROYAL TOURISM IN THAILAND: VISITORS’ EXPERIENCE AT KING BHUMIBHOL’S CREMATORIUM EXHIBITION

This paper examines the characteristics and potential of royal tourism as a niche tourism interest in Thailand by focusing on the case study of the royal crematorium of King Bhumibhol, a temporary structure created for the funerary event of the late king in October 2017 before being transformed into an open-air exhibition in November and December 2017. Borrowing Wang’s (1999) concept of “existential authenticity,” this paper investigates visitors’ interpretation of the site visit, to elucidate how royal culture is regarded in the context of the tourism experience. In doing so, 15 visitors were approached for a semi-structured interview. The findings revealed that the crematorium exhibition was an occasional opportunity enabling the public to gaze at the royal traditions. Royal culture retained its salience despite being transformed into a tourism offering. The crematorium exhibition was an educational medium enabling visitors to discover national art and culture in a participatory manner and stimulated their interest on studying art and culture. Moreover, by visiting the exhibition, visitors could consolidate their bond with the monarch, to be seen from their appreciation of the royal stories and their expression of gratitude toward the deceased king. To conclude, royal tourism demonstrates the ability of tourism in sustaining the country’s traditions and promoting nationalism. Tourism should not be seen as the degrader but as the protector of royal traditions. Royal tourism can be an addition to the country’s existing cultural tourism offering or used as an instrument to consolidate individuals with the national heritage. Nevertheless, the operation of royal tourism should be aware of the particularity of the country’s laws and sociocultural values. The researcher proposes that presenting the negative actions and influences of royalty that might disgrace the royal dignity should be avoided.