A Co-Generated Analysis of Thai Homestays: Overcoming SERVQUAL Deficiencies and Sustainability Barriers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14764/10.ASEAS-0119Keywords:
Community-based Tourism (CBT), Ethnic Homestay, SERVQUAL, Service Quality, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)Abstract
Post-COVID-19, international travelers have brand assurance expectations that often surpass the benchmark set by the Thai Homestay Standard, leaving some operators struggling to position with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Thai homestays face significant challenges due to the lack of clear transitional pathways toward sustainability and alignment with international (ASEAN) standards for ‘service quality’ (SERVQUAL). This study critically examines these SERVQUAL deficiencies and analyzes Thai homestays in comparison with the ASEAN Homestay Standard, using frameworks derived from SERVQUAL and the SDGs. It identifies barriers within the standards and proposes actionable tools to bridge these gaps, enabling homestays to support sustainability objectives better. Adopting a reflective and co-creative methodological approach, the research engaged a rural community in Northeastern Thailand to co-generate insights towards homestay quality. Findings show community-identified barriers across three core SERVQUAL dimensions: Tangibles, Responsiveness, and Assurance. However, external observations on SERVQUAL of homestays identified all five dimensions, including Reliability and Empathy, albeit against different items. The internal/external gaze juxtaposition suggests a precarious role of sustainability within Thai ethnic homestays. The study’s novelty lies in its longitudinal fieldwork and applying a mutual gaze to embed SERVQUAL principles into homestay practices via a refined standards matrix. Findings highlight the pressing need for revisions to the Thai Homestay Standard, equipping hosts to transition effectively toward internationalization while achieving higher service quality and sustainability.
References
Adie, B. A., Amore, A., & Hall, C. M. (2022). Just because it seems impossible, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t at least try: The need for longitudinal perspectives on tourism partnerships and the SDGs. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 30(10), 2282-2297.
Akhmedova, A., Manresa, A., Escobar Rivera, D., & Bikfalvi, A. (2021). Service quality in the sharing econo¬my: A review and research agenda. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 45(4), 889-910.
Arowoshegbe, A. O., Emmanuel, U., & Gina, A. (2016). Sustainability and triple bottom line: An overview of two interrelated concepts. Igbinedion University Journal of Accounting, 2(16), 88-126.
ASEAN Secretariat. (2016, January). ASEAN Homestay Standard. Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). https://www.asean.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ASEAN-Homestay-Standard.pdf
Bandola-Gill, J., Arthur, M., & Leng, R. I. (2023). What is co-production? Conceptualising and understand¬ing the co-production of knowledge and policy across different theoretical perspectives. Evidence and Policy, 19(2), 275-298.
Bangkok Post. (2022, 23 October 2022). Thailand revitalising tourism locally and internationally for Asia- Pacific. https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/general/2419736
BBC. (2022, 10 Ocober). Reopening to more sustainable tourism for Thailand. British Broadcasting Com¬mission. https://www.bbc.com/storyworks/advertiser-content/amazing-thailand/reopening-to-more-sustainable-tourism-for-thailand
Bhat, M. A. (2012). Tourism service quality: a dimension-specific assessment of SERVQUAL. Global Business Review, 13(2), 327-337.
Brundtland, G. H. (1987, 20 March). Report of the world commission on environment and development: Our common future. World Commission on Environment and Development: UN. http://www.un-docu¬ments.net/our-common-future.pdf
Business Bliss Consultants FZE. (2018). Theories and concepts of the SERVQUAL model. UKDiss.com. https:// ukdiss.com/examples/origins-of-servqual-model.php?vref=1
Cai, P. (2017). Understanding China’s belt and road initiative. The Lowey Institute for International Policy. Retrieved 26 February 2018 from https://www.lowyinstitute.org/publications/understanding-china-s-belt-road-initiative
Caldicott, R. W., von der Heidt, T., Scherrer, P., Muschter, S., & Canosa, A. (2020). Airbnb – exploring its tri¬ple bottom line impacts. International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, 14(2), 205-223.
Chalupa, S., & Petricek, M. (2022). Understanding customer's online booking intentions using hotel big data analysis. Journal of Vacation Marketing, Online, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1177/13567667221122107
Cheer, J., & Lew, A. (Eds.). (2018). Tourism resilience and sustainability: adapting to social, political and economic change. Routledge.
Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2017). Action research. In L. Cohen, L. Manion, & K. Morrison (Eds.), Research Methods in Education (8 ed., pp. 440-456), Routledge.
Dahles, H. (2000). Tourism, small enterprises and community development. In G. Richards & D. Hall (Eds.), Tourism and Sustainable Community Development (pp. 154-169), Routledge.
Department of Provincial Administration. (2022). Nong Khai Provincial Statistical Report. Ministry of Interior, Thailand. https://nongkhai.nso.go.th/images/Report_Stsistical-2565-Final.pdf
Department of Tourism. (2022). Homestay standards in Thailand. Ministry of Tourism and Sports. https:// prachuapkhirikhan.mots.go.th/download/article/article_20200417111756.pdf
Ditta-Apichai, M., Sroypetch, S., & Caldicott, R. W. (2024). A critique of community-based tourism devel¬opment: The comparative case of Betong and Pho Tak Districts, Thailand. Community Development, 55(1), 67-84.
Dolezal, C., & Novelli, M. (2022). Power in community-based tourism: Empowerment and partnership in Bali. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 30(10), 2352-2370.
Drawson, A. S., Toombs, E., & Mushquash, C. J. (2017). Indigenous research methods: A systematic review. International Indigenous Policy Journal, 8(2), 1-25.
Escolar-Jimenez, C. C. (2020). Cultural homestay enterprises: sustainability factors in Kiangan, Ifugao. Hospitality & Society, 10(1), 63-85.
Fossey, E., Harvey, C., McDermott, F., & Davidson, L. (2002). Understanding and evaluating qualitative research. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 36(6), 717-732.
Franisal, P. N. (2020). Analysis of homestay criteria compliance in tourist village according to the visitor's perception. Tourism Research Journal, 4(2), 133-149.
Grandidge, M. (2023). What is a Bed & Breakfast and why you should stay in them? Absolute Escapes. Retrieved 7 September 2024 from https://www.absoluteescapes.com/blog/what-is-a-bed-and-breakfast/
Gutierrez-Montes, I., Emery, M., & Fernandez-Baca, E. (2009). The sustainable livelihoods approach and the community-capitals framework: The importance of system-level approaches to community change efforts. Community Development, 40(2), 106-113.
Hardy, A., Young, T., Cheer, J., Scheyvens, R., & Movono, A. (2022). Humanising research: a citizen social science agenda. Annals of Tourism Research, 96, 103468.
Haugen, J. (2023, 27 March 2023). What defines a “high-value” traveler - and would a shift in perspec¬tive make a difference? rootedstorytelling.com. https://rootedstorytelling.com/rethinking-tourism/ attracting-high-value-travelers/
Hekmat, N., Ramazanova, M., Marques, J., & Quintela, J. A. (2021). Wellness tourism experience on the rise post-COVID. In R. A. B. Costa, F Brandão, Z. Breda, & C. Costa (Eds.), Planning and Managing the Experience Economy in Tourism (pp. 215-237), IGI Global.
Heron, J., & Reason, P. (1997). A participatory inquiry paradigm. Qualitative Inquiry, 3(3), 274-294.
Hinch, T., & Butler, R. (1996). Indigenous tourism: A common ground for discussion. In R. Butler & T. Hinch (Eds.), Tourism and Indigenous Peoples. International Thomson Business Press.
Janjua, Z. U. A., Krishnapillai, G., & Rahman, M. (2021). A systematic literature review of rural homestays and sustainability in tourism. SAGE Open, 11(2), 1-17.
Kimaiga, R. K., Kihima, B. O., & Nzioka, A. (2018). Homestay tourist accommodation as a tool for the socio-economic well-being of rural communities in Kenya. Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Management, 6(4), 143-151.
Lamaiwong, C. (2014). Legal problem relating to homestay accommodation business in Thailand Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand. http://ethesisarchive.library.tu.ac.th/thesis/2014/TU_2014_5401040125 _2183_1069.pdf
Lavallée, L. F. (2009). Practical application of an indigenous research framework and two qualitative Indig¬enous research methods: Sharing circles and anishnaabe symbol-based reflection. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 8(1), 21-40.
Lew, A. A., Cheer, J. M., Haywood, M., Brouder, P., & Salazar, N. B. (2020). Visions of travel and tourism after the global COVID-19 transformation of 2020. Tourism Geographies, 22(3), 455-466.
Lopez Escobar, D. (2022, 7 September). Planning your 2022 hotel budget? Here are 5 new things to consider. Pressreader. https://blog.pressreader.com/hotels/planning-your-2022-hotel-budget-here-are-5-new-things-to-consider?
Mahato, S. S., Phi, G. T., & Prats, L. (2021). Design thinking for social innovation: Secrets to success for tourism social entrepreneurs. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 49(Online), 396-406.
Maoz, D. (2006). The mutual gaze. Annals of Tourism Research, 33(1), 221-239.
Mapjabil, J., Ismail, S. C., Ab Rahman, B., Masron, T., Ismail, R., & Zainol, R. M. (2015). Homestays-community programme or alternative accommodation? A re-evaluation of concept and execution. Geografia, 11(12), 1-8.
McNiff, J., & Whitehead, J. (2016). You and your action research project (4 ed.). Routledge.
Missingham, B. D. (2017). Asset-based learning and the pedagogy of community development. Community Development, 48(3), 339-350.
Mohamed, R., & Aminudin, N. (2016). Understanding homestay sustainability through successor moti¬vational factors. In N. Aminudin (Ed.), Regional Conference on Science, Technology and Social Sciences (RCSTSS 2014). https://doi.org/0.1007/978-981-10-1458-1_96
Müller, S., Huck, L., & Markova, J. (2020). Sustainable community-based tourism in Cambodia and tourists’ willingness to pay. Austrian Journal of South-East Asian Studies, 13(1), 81-101.
Munasinghe, S., Hemmington, N., Schänzel, H., & Poulston, J. (2022). Hospitality beyond the commercial do¬main: A triadic conceptualisation of hospitality in tourism from a host-guest encounter perspective. Inter¬national Journal of Hospitality Management, 107(Online), 103316. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2022.103316
Mura, P. (2015). Perceptions of authenticity in a Malaysian homestay: A narrative analysis. Tourism Management, 51(Online), 225-233.
Muschter, S., Caldicott, R. W., von der Heidt, T., & Che, D. (2021). Third-party impacts of short-term rental accommodation: A community survey to inform government responses. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 30(5), 1102-1121.
National Economic and Social Development Council. (2023). The thirteenth national economic and social development plan (2023-2027). The Office of the Prime Minister, Bangkok, Thailand. https://www. nesdc.go.th/nesdb_en/download/article/article_20230615134558.pdf
Naumov, N., Varadzhakova, D., & Naydenov, A. (2021). Sanitation and hygiene as factors for choosing a place to stay: Perceptions of the Bulgarian tourists. Anatolia, 32(1), 144-147.
Nomnian, S., Trupp, A., Niyomthong, W. T., P, & Charoenkongka, A. (2020). Language and community-based tourism: Use needs, dependency, and limitations. Austrian Journal of South-East Asian Studies, 13(1), 57-79.
Nowotny, H., Scott, P., & Gibbons, M. (2003). `Mode 2' revisited: The new production of knowledge. Minerva, 41(3), 179-194.
Ongsakul, V., Kajla, T., Raj, S., Khoa, T. T., & Ahmed, Z. U. (2022). Changing tourists’ preferences in the ho¬tel industry amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, 13(2), 296-313.
Parasuraman, A., Zelthaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1985). A conceptual model of service quality and its impli¬cations for future research. Journal of Marketing, 49(Fall), 41-50.
Pasanchay, K., & Schott, C. (2021). Community-based tourism homestays' capacity to advance the sustain¬able development goals: A holistic sustainable livelihood perspective. Tourism Management Perspectives, 37(Online), 100784.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2020.100784
Paulauskaite, D., Powell, R., Coca-Stefaniak, J. A., & Morrison, A. M. (2017). Living like a local: Authentic tourism experiences and the sharing economy. International Journal of Tourism Research, 19(6), 619-628.
Pham Minh, Q., & Ngoc Mai, N. (2023). Perceived risk and booking intention in the crisis of COVID-19: comparison of tourist hotels and love hotels. Tourism Recreation Research, 48(1), 128-140.
Phongthanapanich, P., & Ouparamai, W. (2021). Value-based pricing in contemporary marketing. Journal of ASEAN PLUS Studies, 2(1), 26-35.
Phunnarong, S. (2021). Factors affecting the success of community-based tourism (CBT) in homestay form. Journal of Community Development Research (Humanities and Social Sciences), 14(4), 14-27.
Pinichchan, G., Maneenin, P., Kamphaengdee, S., Namburi, N., & Raksudjarit, S. (2022). Homestay tourism management model to the new normal in the southern provinces of Thailand. Journal of Positive School Psychology (JPSP), 6(6), 1789-1802.
Priatmoko, S., Kabil, M., Purwoko, Y., & Dávid, L. D. (2021). Rethinking sustainable community-based tourism: A villager’s point of view and case study in Pampang Village, Indonesia. Sustainability, 13(6), 3245-3260.
Pusiran, A. K., & Xiao, H. (2013). Challenges and community development: A case study of homestay in Malaysia. Asian Social Science, 9(5), 1-17.
Qiao, H.-H., Wang, C.-H., Chen, M.-H., Su, C.-H. J., Tsai, C.-H. K., & Liu, J. (2021). Hedonic price analysis for high-end rural homestay room rates. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 49(Online), 1-11.
Qu, M., McCormick, A. D., & Funck, C. (2022). Community resourcefulness and partnerships in rural tour¬ism. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 30(10), 2371-2390.
Rangsungnoen, G., Sroypetch, S., & Caldicott, R. W. (2024). Extending the Baldrige excellence model for managing a community-based social enterprise. Social Enterprise Journal, 20(1), 1-31.
Reimer, J. K., & Walter, P. (2013). How do you know it when you see it? Community-based ecotourism in the Cardamom Mountains of southwestern Cambodia. Tourism Management, 34(Online), 122-132.
Rickly, J., Sharma, N., & Canavan, B. (2023). Authenticity: the state-of-the-art in tourism geographies. Tourism Geographies, Online, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616688.2023.2290017
Robina-Ramírez, R., Medina-Merodio, J. A., & Estriegana, R. (2022). What do urban and rural hotel man¬agers say about the future of hotels after Covid-19? The new meaning of safety experiences. Cities, 120(Online), 103492. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2021.103492
Russ, E., Petrakis, M., Whitaker, L., Fitzroy, R., & Short, M. (2024). Co-operative inquiry: qualitative meth¬odology transforming research ‘about’ to research ‘with’ people. Qualitative Research, Online, 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1177/14687941241234272
Samsudin, P. Y., & Maliki, N. Z. (2015). Preserving cultural landscape in homestay programme towards sustainable tourism: Brief critical review concept. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 170(Online), 433-441. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.01.004
Sangpikul, A. (2023). Acquiring an in-depth understanding of assurance as a dimension of the SERVQUAL model in regard to the hotel industry in Thailand. Current Issues in Tourism, 26(3), 347-352.
Saraithong, W., & Chancharoenchai, K. (2011). Tourists behaviour in Thai homestay business. International Journal of Management Cases, 13(3), 112-126.
Scheyvens, R., & Cheer, J. M. (2022). Tourism, the SDGs and partnerships. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 30(10), 2271-2281.
Scott, B. (2022, 28 October). Thailand eager to take tourist overspill from Laos-China railway. Thaiger. https:// thethaiger.com/hot-news/tourism/thailand-eager-to-take-tourist-overspill-from-laos-china-railway
Singh, S., Angkura, R., & Euamornvanich, P. (2018, 9-10 July). Communication of Thailand homestay standard compares ASEAN homestay standard. The European Conference on Media, Communication & Film, Brighton, UK. https://papers.iafor.org/submission40350/
Spinks, R. (2019, 8 June). The “live like a local” travel ethos has failed—the question is what will replace it. Quartz. https://qz.com/quartzy/1298546/the-live-like-a-local-travel-ethos-has-failed-locals-so-what-comes-next/
Sroypetch, S. (2016). The mutual gaze: host and guest perceptions of socio-cultural impacts of backpacker tourism: A case study of the Yasawa Islands, Fiji. Journal of Marine and Island Cultures, 5(2), 133-144.
Sroypetch, S., Caldicott, R. W., & Carr, N. (2018). Visitor and non-visitor images of Thailand as a backpack¬ing destination: an Australian perspective. Anatolia, 29(2), 278-281.
Sutherland, I., Sim, Y., & Lee, S. K. (2021). Impacts of quality certification on online reviews and pricing strategies in the hospitality industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 93(Online), 102776. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102776
Talmage, C. A., Allgood, B., Ashdown, B. K., Brennan, A., Hill, S., Trevan, E., & Waugh, J. (2022). Tethering natural capital and cultural capital for a more sustainable post-Covid-19 world. International Journal of Community Well-Being, 5(Online), 657–678.
TAT News. (2021, 13 January). Amazing Thailand SHA promotes health and wellbeing in Thailand. Tourism Authority Thailand. https://www.tatnews.org/2021/01/amazing-thailand-sha-promotes-health-and-wellbeing-in-thailand/
Thananusak, T., & Suriyankietkaew, S. (2023). Unpacking key sustainability drivers for sustainable social enterprises: A community-based tourism perspective. Sustainability, 15(4), 3401-3424.
Theerapappisit, P. (2012). The bottom-up approach of community-based ethnic tourism: a case study in Chiang Rai. In M. Kasimoglu & H. Aydin (Eds.), Strategies for Tourism Industry - Micro and Macro Perspec¬tives (pp. 267-294). Book on Demand (BoD).
Tourism Authority of Thailand. (2023, 12 January 2023). TAT strengthens “Visit Thailand Year 2023” towards a meaningful travel direction. Thailand Government. https://www.tatnews.org/2023/01/tat-strengthens-visit-thailand-year-2023-towards-a-meaningful-travel-direction/
Tran Huu Thuy, G., & Caldicott, R. W. (2022). Developing resilience for small island tourism planning: A qualitative design infusing the sustainability trilogy with three streams of resilience thinking. Journal of Marine and Island Cultures, 11(1), 128-157.
Trupp, A., & Dolezal, C. (2020). Tourism and the sustainable development goals in Southeast Asia. Austrian Journal of South-East Asian Studies, 13(1), 1-16.
Trupp, A., Salman, A., Stephenson, M. L., Chan, L.-F., & Gan, J.-E. (2024). A systematic review of challenges faced by micro and small enterprises in tourism destinations: Producing solutions through resilience building and sustainable development. Tourism Planning and Development, Online, 1-23. https://doi.org /10.1080/21568316.2024.2307970
United Nations. (2018). The sustainable development agenda. The United Nations. Retrieved 27 September 2019 from https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/development-agenda/
UNWTO, & UNDP. (2017). Tourism and the sustainable development goals—Journey to 2030. https://www.e-unwto.org/doi/book/10.18111/9789284419401
Viken, A., Höckert, E., & Grimwood, B. S. R. (2021). Cultural sensitivity: engaging difference in tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 89(Online), 103223.
Visser, W. (2010). Schön: design as a reflective practice. Collection, Parsons Paris School of Art, Design and Psychology, 2(Online), 21-25.
Voon, B. H., Hamali, J., Jussem, P. M., Teo, A. K., & Kanyan, A. (2017). Socio-environmental dimensions of tourist service experience in homestays. GEOMATE Journal, 12(34), 96-100.
Wahid, S. N. S., Dangi, M. R. M., Jabar, F., Muhamed, M., & Paino, H. (2017). Effect of tangibility and reliability service quality towards homestay customer satisfaction. Journal of Tourism, Hospitality and Environment Management, 2(5), 44-45.
Wisniewski, M. (2001). Using SERVQUAL to assess customer satisfaction with public sector services. Man¬aging Service Quality, 11(6), 380-388.
Zeithaml, V. A., Berry, L. L., & Parasuraman, A. (1988). Communication and control processes in the deliv¬ery of service quality. Journal of Marketing, 52(2), 35-48.
Zulkefli, N. S., Aziz, R. C., & Radzol, A. R. M. (2021). Developing a framework on success performance of community-based homestay tourism programme: Evidence from an insider perspective of homestay Journal of Tourism, Hospitality & Culinary Arts, 13(3), 256-270.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Supattra Sroypetch, Grid Rangsungnoen, Rodney William Caldicott
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
For all articles published in ASEAS before December 2014 and after July 2022, copyright is retained by the authors. For articles published between January 2015 and June 2022, the Society for South-East Asian Studies (SEAS) is the copyright holder. Articles published in ASEAS before December 2019 are licensed under the following Creative Commons License: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported. Articles published after that date are licensed under the following Creative Commons License: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International. In both cases, this means that everybody is free to share (to copy, to distribute, and to transmit the work) under the following conditions:
-
Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
-
NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
-
NoDerivatives — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material.
