Abstract:
The objectives of this study were (1) to study the current situation of ecotourism in Pra-Sae River basin as a factor for further development, (2) to analyze potential, problems and impacts of the areas so as to assess a prospective ecotourism development (3) to study the local participation concerning in the ecotourism management including problems and obstacles of an cooperative development, and (4) to purpose guidelines on ecotourism development in relation to communitys way of life. The research included the study of primary data from the field surveys and interviews with people concerned of 230 questionnaires of interviewing tourists and local people to analyze the current situation of ecotourism, and secondary data.The study analyze the potential of ecotourism development for the studied areas, and problems so as to recommend guidelines on ecotourism development in Pra-Sae River basin. From the study, it has been found that the ecotourism in Pra-Sae River basin had a high potential to develop due to its diversity sceneries. However, the upper basin of Khao Chamoa National Park composing of healthy forest and rivers have been intruded by orchards and rubber tree planting while the middle part of the basin is the community area using water from rivers for agriculture and the lower part of the basin which is full of forest around the beach and mangrove forest was also intruded by a shrimp farm extension. In addition, there was no direction to conserve natural resources and ecology system in those areas. The guidelines on the development of the ecotourism in Pra-Sae River basin based on 3 aspects they are the physical development, the economic development and the social and cultural development with the target to achieve a sustainable ecotourism development. It is important to strengthen the collaboration between public and private sectors and local people should so as to develop the ecotourism in Pra-Sae River basin which can generate a long-term income from tourism for local community.