Author: Tippaya Rasameechan
AIT Library Call Number: AIT Thesis no.GD-03-01
Year: 2003
Academic Program: Gender and Development Studies (GDS)
Type: Thesis (M.Sc.) – Asian Institute of Technology, 2003
Examination Committee: Bernadette P. Resurreccion (Chairperson); Kyoko Kusakabe, Soparth Pongquan (Examination Committee Members)
Abstract: The research deals with the gendered effects of the tourist boom on livelihoods in Thailand, specifically in the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, Ratchaburi Province. The main objectives of this research are to examine the gender roles of women and men in the floating market in the context of the tourist boom and to analyze the impacts of the tourist boom in the floating market on women’s and men’s livelihoods. The research was conducted a standardized questionnaire, focus group discussions, in-depth interviews and interviews of key informants. Along with the economic development through tourism industry since 1982, several types of tourism activities have taken place in the floating market largely due to tourism promotion and development. A large number of women engage in tourism-related activities, especially as traders, street vendors, or employees in the souvenir shops. During the tourist boom, most local people earned a lot of income and profits especially the pier owners and the souvenir sellers. Key findings of this research showed the changes of gender roles of men and women as a result of economic development through tourism. Although women have equal opportunity to engage in tourism activities in the floating market, their working hours were longer than men because most women had to do both main and supplementary occupations in order to support their daily household needs. Regarding the decision making within a household, men, however, still make the final decision on earnings, particularly in poor households that had small amount of savings. Moreover, conflict and competition in the floating market resulted from a diverse class and gender divisions. Wealthy pier owners or shop owners had more power over traders or paddlers. They normally exploited paddlers by low wages. Nevertheless, traders are the most disadvantaged group compared with other tourism-related activities because they had to pay high commissions to the paddlers as they brought the customers to buy their goods. The research concluded that
Scholarship Donor(s): RTG Fellowship
Note: A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, School of Environment, Resources and Development
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