Strategic Media Production for Tourism Promotion in Bangkok, Thailand: A Case Study of “Taste and Trails City Run Banthat Thong”

Author Information

R-titaya Supsinwiwat, Srinakharinwirot University, Thailand
Khuttipong Namjarutjareonkit, Srinakharinwirot University, Thailand
Pasraporn Phandech, Srinakharinwirot University, Thailand
Sarisa Natesawang, Srinakharinwirot University, Thailand
Duangnapha Binloy, Srinakharinwirot University, Thailand

Abstract

Urban destinations increasingly use experiential events and digital media to diversify tourism identities and encourage new forms of place engagement. This study examined how strategic media production, experiential tourism, gamified urban running, and community participation were integrated into the Taste and Trails City Run: Banthat Thong, a creative tourism project in Bangkok, Thailand. The project addressed the temporal imbalance of Banthat Thong Road, which is widely recognized as a popular evening food destination but attracts limited tourism activity in the early morning. A qualitative practice-based case study was employed. Data were collected through participant observation, semi-structured interviews with purposively selected stakeholders, documentation of community co-creation, analysis of creative artefacts, official social media analytics, and publicly available user-generated content. The data were analyzed thematically across the pre-production, event production, and post-production phases. The findings show that strategic media production functioned not only as a promotional tool but also as an experience-design process. Gamified checkpoints, retro-game aesthetics, local breakfast experiences, cultural routes, and community interaction transformed running into a participatory form of urban exploration. Community collaboration strengthened the authenticity of the experience, while official and participant-generated media extended audience engagement beyond the event. The project introduced an alternative representation of Banthat Thong as a creative morning tourism destination, although the findings do not demonstrate a permanent change in destination image. This study highlights the potential of practice-based strategic communication to activate neighborhood tourism through the integration of creative experience design, community participation, and participatory digital media.

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