Developing the Ram Ton Korat Folk Dance Program: Khong Dee Korat (Bilingual Program) to Support Cultural Tourism for Both Thai and Foreign Tourists for Tourism Operators in Nakhon Ratchasima Province Developing the Ram Ton Korat Folk Dance Program: Khong Dee Korat (Bilingual Program) to Support Cultural Tourism for Both Thai and Foreign Tourists for Tourism Operators in Nakhon Ratchasima Province

Abstract

This study aimed to develop a bilingual Ram Tone Korat folk dance program, “Khong Dee Korat,” to support cultural tourism for Thai and foreign tourists in Nakhon Ratchasima Province for tourism operators in Nakhon Ratchasima province. The objectives of the study were: (1) to study and analyze foundational data for designing a bilingual Ram Tone Korat program for Thai and foreign tourists in Nakhon Ratchasima Province for tourism operators in Nakhon Ratchasima province; (2) to develop a bilingual Ram Tone Korat folk dance program for Thai and foreign tourists in Nakhon Ratchasima Province for tourism operators in Nakhon Ratchasima province; and (3) to implement and evaluate the effectiveness of the developed program. The participants consisted of 35 Thai and foreign tourists. The research instruments included a knowledge test on the Khong Dee Korat Ram Tone folk dance and a satisfaction questionnaire regarding the bilingual Ram Tone Korat folk dance program. The data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and percentage.

          The findings revealed that: (1) the analysis of foundational data indicated that the program should emphasize simple and enjoyable participatory activities, particularly singing along with basic dance movements. The program should also incorporate video media with Thai lyrics and karaoke-style subtitles for foreign tourists; (2) the developed bilingual Ram Tone Korat folk dance program consisted of three phases: Phase 1: pre-program preparation, Phase 2: Implementation of the Ram Tone program, and Phase 3: Post-program activities featuring photo-taking activities in a “snap-and-share” format, and (3) The results of the program implementation revealed that, after participating in the program, tourists’ knowledge of Ram Tone Korat reached 80.30 percent. In addition, tourists’ overall satisfaction with the program was at the highest level. When satisfaction was considered by individual aspects, all aspects were also rated at the highest level.