The Thammasat University Libraries have newly acquired a book that explains an important element of the Kingdom’s economy. Theme Park describes how theme parks have influenced architecture, technology and culture. This useful subject is also the subject of other books in the TU Libraries collection, about theme park design and the influence of theme parks in America. Scott A. Lukas, author of Theme Park, is department chair in anthropology and sociology at Lake Tahoe College, California, USA. He is editor of The Themed Space: Locating Culture, Nation, and Self (2007). Some of the most popular theme parks or amusement parks have included those in Coney Island, Brooklyn; World’s Fairs; Six Flags; Disneyland; Walt Disney World; and Parque Warner Madrid (formerly Warner Bros. Movie World Madrid). Even people who do not visit theme parks are affected by them, because their design influences how shopping malls, branded stores, and casinos are built. Professor Lukas identifies a difference between a traditional amusement park and a theme park in which everything is focused on one subject:

Though it still aims to thrill patrons, [the theme park] recognizes a more powerful role – that of altering society itself.

One example is the educational theme park, such as Epcot (formerly known as EPCOT Center) at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. It is dedicated to technology and international culture, including sections devoted to Future World and World Showcase. A sign near the entrance to the park states:

… Here, human achievements are celebrated through imagination, the wonders of enterprise, and concepts of a future that promises new and exciting benefits for all. May Epcot Center entertain, inform and inspire. And, above all, may it instill a new sense of belief and pride in man’s ability to shape a world that offers hope to people everywhere.

The name Epcot is short for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. It was planned by Walt Disney as a city of the future:

EPCOT will take its cue from the new ideas and new technologies that are now emerging from the creative centers of American industry. It will be a community of tomorrow that will never be completed but will always be introducing and testing, and demonstrating new materials and new systems. And EPCOT will always be a showcase to the world of the ingenuity and imagination of American free enterprise.

Some theme parks clearly aim at more than exciting rides and family fun. Professor Lukas describes them as shelters for imagination, as an escape from usual routines such as work schedules. The author told an online interviewer that he was inspired to study this subject because in previous years, he had worked in Six Flags AstroWorld, a theme park formerly located in Houston, Texas:

My dissertation research focused on my work at Six Flags AstroWorld (now closed) as well as experiences at theme parks across the country–Six Flags Fiesta Texas, Six Flags Over Texas, Six Flags Georgia, Six Flags Great America, Dollywood, Walt Disney World, EPCOT, Disneyland, Cedar Point, Kings Dominion, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, among others. The research I do now includes speaking to designers at theme parks and just doing classic anthropology (what we call participant observation). For this type of work, use of video and still cameras and simple note taking is a necessity. In addition to studying theme parks, I focus on themed spaces–ranging from Arthurian restaurants to tropical casinos on the Las Vegas Strip. Most recently, I participated in a conference on theme parks and historical reconstruction events (like Civil War ones) in Freiburg, Germany. During the same trip I made it to Europa Park in Rust, Germany (a must for any of your readers who plan on visiting the Black Forrest region in Germany).

While part of the research was visiting theme parks, including Euro Disneyland (Disneyland Paris) and Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Among his favorites:

I like many of Disney’s parks as well. I was very impressed with Blackpool Pleasure Beach (for its history), Dollywood (for its use of natural geography and landscape), Animal Kingdom (for its very new take on the traditional zoo), and Cedar Point (for pure roller coaster experiences). Favorite rides include the Texas Cyclone and Texas Giant (for roller coasters), Pirates of the Caribbean (for dark rides), Kilimanjaro Safari (for the surprise of being so close to animals), and Test Track (my vote for the best themed ride anywhere). I look forward to all of the new ones that are coming out and I have to ride The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man at Universal’s Islands of Adventure.

Calling theme parks narrative machines, Professor Lukas underlines that they can be more than just a pleasant way to spend a day off work:

Wrongly seen by many as merely an entertainment form, [the theme park] is indeed a life form – a means of negotiating the self, the world around it and the vast expanse of culture, people and things in the world… The newest theme parks act as powerful lifespaces – as physical places that project educational, political, and lifestyle messages amidst all the consumerism, […] giving them life.

Thailand and Theme Parks

As all Thais know, the Kingdom is much appreciated for its variety of theme parks and amusement parks. These include Art in Paradise (Bangkok) on the 4th floor of The Esplanade Shopping Complex, on Ratchadapisek Road, and many others. Yet last year, The Nation reported that Siam Commercial Bank’s Economic Intelligence Centre advises that new attractions will be needed to better sustain long-term economic growth. The report noted:

The government can also help incentivize construction of new tourist attractions such as theme parks, water parks and museums… Man-made attractions rake in revenues and give tourists something to do, so that they stay longer. These attractions also stimulate investments in related businesses. World-famous attractions such as theme parks, water parks and museums can draw tourists from all over the world. Some tourists travel specifically to visit theme parks. The world’s 10 most-visited theme park companies together drew more than 420 million visitors in 2015, with growth projected at 8% per year. Asia’s theme parks are second only to those in the U.S. in popularity, drawing more than 120 million visitors each year. Most revenues come from admissions, followed by food and beverages. Opening a theme park sparks expansion of other businesses such as hotels, restaurants, and shops. Theme parks also create jobs and have trickle-down economic effects in surrounding communities… In Thailand, both local and foreign visitors are increasingly drawn to theme parks. An opening of a new theme park results in an additional 4% jump in tourist spending. Based on a survey by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, 10% of foreign tourists here visited a theme park in 2014, compared to 6% the year before. Theme parks are especially popular among visitors from South Asia and the Middle East; some 17%-19% of them visit a theme park while vacationing in Thailand. Theme parks have regained interest among local visitors in recent years… Thailand has many theme parks and water parks, but lacks the big global brands. Among the top-ten tourist destination countries, all except Russia and Turkey have large-scale parks by global brands. Although Mexico is a developing country like Thailand, they already has a Six Flags amusement park that is the most visited theme park in Latin America. In Southeast Asia, Singapore has a Universal Studios theme park, while Malaysia has a Legoland Resort. Each attracted more than 4 million visitors in 2015. EIC recommends more investment in global-brand theme parks in order to bring in more visitors, especially considering that two more international parks will soon open in Malaysia, namely 20th Century Fox World in 2017 and Ubisoft Theme Park in 2020.

Instead of relying mainly on tourism from China which depends on cheap hotel rates, the EIC recommended developing theme parks and other attractions to appeal to visitors from India and Indonesia. These strong potential sources for tourists to Thailand have large populations with increasing disposable incomes. As if following this advice, this month a new hi-tech Impact Speed Park in Muang Thong Thani opened, Thailand’s first electronic go-kart circuit. Last year, another innovation, Dinosaur Planet theme park opened in Bangkok, sharing educational information about dinosaurs and the prehistoric world.

(All images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)