Intercultural Communicative Competence between Chinese Tourists and Thai Citizens in Tourism

Since little research has been conducted on the issues in intercultural communication (IC) in tourism with multimodality, this study examined the intercultural communicative competence (ICC) of Chinese tourists and Thai citizens pertaining to tourism in Thailand. A total of 40 participants, comprising 20 Chinese tourists and 20 Thai citizens, participated in this research. Data collection was conducted through group discussions and a self-reflection report, with thematic analysis as the primary method of analysis. Consequently, this study predominantly adopted a qualitative approach to investigate the ICC of Chinese tourists and Thai citizens in Thailand. The findings initially revealed that Chinese tourists lacked critical cultural awareness in IC, resulting in limited language preparedness and diminished willingness to adapt. Such shortcomings led to ego and a lack of self-reflection among Chinese tourists, impeding effective IC. Conversely, the findings suggested that the pre-existing knowledge and attitudes of Thai citizens towards Chinese tourists and Chinese culture adversely affected Thai citizens’ ICC, fostering stereotypical perceptions. Furthermore, Thai citizens’ behavior has largely been shaped by their cultural norms, which could lead to conflicts due to their limited problem-solving skills in IC. Overall, the results underscored the factors contributing to the failure of intercultural communication between Chinese tourists and Thai citizens in Thailand. This research introduced novel theoretical perspectives on the ICC of both groups and identified the key factors that precipitate communication breakdowns.