其他摘要：This research aimed to study 1) tourists’ perceptions of food tourism image, analyze Thailand’s potential as a food tourism destination, and 2) seek methods to creating Thailand’s food tourism image in the context of ASEAN Economic Community. The quantitative and qualitative methodologies were used to collect data from 800 Thai tourists and foreign tourists, about the qualitative data by depth interview representatives of directors of tourism promotion organizations, marketing communication scholars, tourism scholars, representatives of tour guides, and tourism business operators. The findings showed that foreign tourists had three major perceptions about Thailand, which were tourist attractions, hospitality of Thai people, and Thai food. The image of Thai food in the view of tourists is Thai cuisine with a delicious taste (mean = 4.57, S.D. = 0.70) in highest level. The confirmatory factor analysis of Thailand’s food tourism image from the view of the sample group, which consisted of both Thai and foreign tourists, showed that the first factor was cognition, the second was perception, the third was affection, and the fourth was action. The methods to building Thailand’s food tourism image in the context of ASEAN Economic Community in policy included 1) setting certain policies and practical guidelines to promote food tourism, 2) integrating operations among organizations relevant to food tourism promotion, 3) setting management and marketing strategies for food tourism, 4) creating knowledge and developing human resources in a field of food tourism, and 5) utilizing participation of communities and the private sector to promote food tourism. Meanwhile, the methods to building Thailand’s food tourism image in the context of ASEAN Economic Community in practice included 1) controlling food hygiene, 2) setting standards for Thai food, 3) communicating about ways of life and eating cultures of Thai people, 4) promoting street food tourism, 5) presenting stories about Thai food in media, and 6) using social media to initiate word of mouth marketing.
