ความคิดเห็นของผู้ประกอบการธุรกิจนำเที่ยวในจังหวัดเชียงใหม่ต่อผลกระทบจากการเปิดเสรีการค้าบริการท่องเที่ยวของประชาคมเศรษฐกิจอาเซียน

Abstract

The objective of this study was to explore opinions of Chiang Mai travel agency entrepreneurs towards effect of AEC Free Flow of Services. Data collection was done via questionnaires distributed to 275 travel agency entrepreneurs in Chiang Mai. Then, the data obtained were analyzed by the use of descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, and means. Hereafter were shown summary of the findings. The findings revealed that most respondents were female in the age of 35-45 years old, earned monthly income at the amount of over than 20,000-30,000 Baht, and graduated in Bachelor’s degree as the highest level of education. They had worked in tourism industry for more than 12 years, in the position of business owner. Their business was registered as non-juristic person with the registered capital at 1 million Baht or lower. They had operated their tourism business in specific areas with the official license and averagely earned annual income at the amount of 5 million Baht or lower. None of them had business collaboration with an ASEAN country and planned for the business extension to ASEAN countries. According to the results of the study on 5 positive effects, the Chiang Mai travel agency entrepreneurs agreed that factors positively affecting tourism business were the stimulation of domestic economic, the transfer of technology and knowledge, the career creation, and the increase of sources of investment funds, respectively. According to the results of the study on 7 negative effects, the Chiang Mai travel agency entrepreneurs agreed that factors negatively affecting tourism business were the effect towards consumers in Thailand, the brain drain effect, the effect towards small and medium entrepreneurs (SME), the decrease of controls on development format and limitation, the effect towards sustainable development, the problem on domestic employment competition, and the problem on economic leakage, respectively. Hereafter were presented recommendations from the majority of respondents. The inclusive and concise law to protect Thai tourism should be legislated by the state to avoid any disadvantage that foreign countries might cause. Government and private sectors, educational institutes and other related units should continually arrange more and more trainings: i.e. trainings on language, culture, and traditions, to acknowledge and prepare those travel agency entrepreneurs for the coming of AEC in 2015, as well as to strengthen their competition capacities on tourism industry. The government must be strict to the law enforcement with foreign nominee companies. In addition, the tourism industry should be reserved exclusively for Thai citizen and foreigners should not be allowed to conduct the tourist business investment freely because the tour guides must be knowledgeable on history, arts, cultures, and traditions of Thailand.