Community-Based Tourism: A Strategy for Sustainable Tourism Development of Patong Beach, Phuket Island, Thailand

This study proposes community-based tourism as a strategy for sustainable tourism development of Patong Beach. Direct observation, questionnaire and interview are research instruments. A result of analyzing 120 questionnaires of local people which displayed a negative impact including economic impact which was very high )= 4.53(, social impact )= 4.28( and environmental impact) = 4.42( which were high so the total mean score was high )= 4.41(. The Community-Based Tourism was adapted for solution all negative impacts which were mentioned earlier. The sreategies are namely 1. Political development strategy: (1.1) Enabling the participation of local people, (1.2) Giving the power of the community over the outside and (1.3) Ensuring rights in natural resource management. 2. Environmental development strategy: (2.1) Studying the carrying capacity of the area, (2.2) Managing waste disposal and (2.3) Raising awareness of the need for conservation.3. Social development strategy: (3.1) Raising the quality of life, (3.2) Promoting community pride, (3.3) Dividing roles fairly between women/men, elder/youth and (3.4) Building community management organizations. 4. Cultural development strategy: (4.1) Encouraging respect for different cultures, (4.2) Fostering cultural exchange and (4.3) Embedding development in local culture and 5. Economic development strategy: (5.1) Raising funds for community development, (5.2) Creating jobs in tourism and (5.3) Raising the income of local people.