Intangible cultural heritage tourism in Thailand

Thailand is rich in cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible. The past several decades, particularly after the recent enacting of the Promotion and Safeguarding of Cultural Wisdom Heritage Act of 2016, have seen an increase in intangible cultural heritage tourism in the country. However, there has been no extensive and critical review of this kind of tourism in the kingdom. In this chapter, we review academic documents and news on social media concerning the events, festivals, as well as other activities using intangible cultural heritage (ICH) as tourist resources. We also discuss impacts of tourism on ICH, and propose appropriate and best management practices in light of historical and contemporary contexts in Thailand.