The Study of Noise Pollution in Tourism Community, Case Study: Amphawa Floating Market, Samutsongkhram

Thailand's tourism industry is a significant source of revenue. Thailand has a high tourism competitive index among Asian countries. The Amphawa Floating Market is a natural and cultural tourist attraction. In the evening, there is a floating market, and at night, there is a firefly tour. With these distinct characters, a large number of tourists, both Thai and foreign, visit each year. However, the activities causes several environmental issues such as air and noise pollution caused by tourist boats.

In this research, a comparative study of sound intensity are performed. Such data was gathered in the three zones; high, medium and low determined by the density of tourists and tourist boats. Data was collected and analyzed by using statistical method to determine the differences of noise level on weekdays (without floating markets) and on holidays (with a large number of tourists).

According to the findings of this study, on weekdays, the time weighted average noise levels in the three areas were around 50 dB, while on holidays, they were 63.86, 61.95 and 56.72 dB in the high, medium, and low density areas, respectively. Noise levels these three zones during the holidays are higher than 53 dB, which can be detrimental to health.