Tenth International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society

Abstract

There are presently 124 hot spring sites spread in Northern, Western, and Southern Thailand. However, Thai people often prefer to visit hot spring overseas; such as Japan, and/or Northern Thailand than any other parts of the country for the atmosphere over there, charming of local cultures and services, and cleanness of the areas. Hot springs in Southern Thailand are not well-known for tourists and visitors seeking wellness. This article focuses on hot springs in Southern Thailand by reviewing relevant literature, as well as surveying and observing the real sites. Results indicate that there are 36 hot spring sites in Southern Thailand. These hot springs were developed for visiting by local public, local government organization, national parks, and private business organizations. Some of them free to access, others charged the fee differently that the visitors or patients might decide where to use for recreation purpose, or health and wellness treatment. Distances, temperatures, and prices of alternatives hot spring were factors to visit. Users might have substitute to hot spring; such as showering hot water at home. In addition, hot spring sites in Southern Thailand were varied for both domestic and international cultures and users; such as, Thai people did not like to be naked while taking hot spring like in Japan culture, private hot spring pool for feeling secure and safe users, hot spring site for Muslim culture in Betong, Yala Province, and the design of hot spring environment for international tourists in PhangNga Province.

Presenters

Umaporn Muneenam
Lecturer, Environmental Management Department, Faculty of Environmental Management, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, Thailand

Pongbaworn Suwannattachote
Environmental Management, Faculty of Environmental Management, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, Thailand