Asst. Prof. Chantouch Wannathanom

Lecturer of Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University

Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University

TOURISM is an industry in service sector which has the important role affecting overall economic system of Thailand because it generates primary income of the Country; moreover, it's the industry generating many relevant business as, in each year, it can generate income into the Country in foreign currency for hundred billion Bath.

Tourism Industry is involved with health tourism because the elder population is increasing slightly in each year, it lead to consider the prospect of medical treatment in Thailand for the AEC in 2015.

The problem has led to research into the needs of the elderly in Bangkok to choose health tourism. This is to study the needs of the elderly in Bangkok to choose health tourism and put the needs of the elderly can appropriately arrange tours for seniors.

Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University

To study of Elders’ Needs in Bangkok Metropolis for the Options of Health Tourism. The research her collected data using a questionnaire. The samples used in this research is Elderly people living in the Dusitarea.

Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University

The samples of the research were 400 elder people in Dusit area Thailand during October 2012-September 2013. This research was quantitative research.

A questionnaire was constructed, used as a tool to collect data and combined with three parts as follow:

◦ Part 1: Personal data: sex, age, nationality, income.

◦ Part 2: the needs of older people in health care and medical tourism. And recreational activities appropriate to the elderly and inferential statistics. The needs of the elderly in health care and medical tourism. And recreational activities appropriate to the elderly and inferential statistics (Inferential Statistics Analysis) to analyze the relationship between the needs of the elderly include physical needs, psychological needs.

◦ Part 3: Opinion and suggestion to improve the shopping period.

Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University

Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University

The study resulted sample of elderly residents in Dusit. Consisted of 400 people found the majority was female than male. Accounted for 18 percent were between 50-55 years of under graduate degree and most seniors do not find disease.

1. The information about the needs of the elderly in health care can be divided into four aspects: physical, psychological, family, and inner awareness. In the most By separating the mean is the following.

• The requirements of the body, including the annual health check are advised to take various supplements, with an average total of 4.79.

• The need to include a psychological participated on a regular basis with a mean equal to 4.58.

• The needs of the family, including family support for exercise. Health activities are shared among family members as the average total of 4.61.

• The requirements for such recognition. Subscribe health through television, newspapers, radio, with an average total of 4.44.

Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University

2. It is concluded that format suitable for elderly tourist activities are divided into 5 categories including massages, massage and herbal sauna practicing meditation and ascetic. The exercise was to healthy food choices. The study found that seniors choose the tourism activity by choosing healthy eating a priority as mean of 4.67, followed by an exercise such as yoga was a contortionist inverted spin dance posture, chi Average of 4.50 and ascetic practice meditation to calm as mean of 4.36, such as massage, foot massage, body massage, shoulder massage average of 4.23 and the activities by focusing on herbs and herbal steam Thailand essentially mean of 4.1

3. The information of relationship between the needs of the elderly in health care to promote health tourism. The study is found that the demand for health care of the elderly are associated with alternative forms of health tourism activities. This is consistent with the hypothesis that the needs of older people in health care, it is involved with the week's selection of tourism activities statistically significant .05

Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University

Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University

This research is found the a survey of the needs of seniors with medical tourism in Bangkok found that the needs of older people in health care are associated with alternative forms of tourism activities as statistically significant at the .05 level which consistent with the concept of the individual factors that affect the behavior of the different environment after birth that influential and important person in the life of the individual and social differences different in family the gender differences the age difference and differences in intelligence. It makes the behavior is different as the average about the needs of the body, including the annual health check, get guidance on eating food, psychological needs as attend religious practice on a regular basis. The needs of the family, including family support for exercise.

Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University

Health activities are shared among family members. And also the needs to be recognized, including the private health care through television, newspapers, radio, and most choose to receive health services at Wat Pho in the form tourism activities suited to the older that seniors choose the tourism activity by choosing healthy eating a priority, followed by an exercise that was to include yoga postures contortionist, dance, posture consistent with entered the study in case of health needs of the elderly.

Most seniors want in a matter of proper nutrition for the elderly and exercise. The psychological needs as most seniors want to stay closer to their children. They want their children to take care of the welfare state or community event is to let the tradition and culture of the village.

Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University

Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University

Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University

Asst. Prof. Chantouch Wannathanom