THE DYNAMICS OF USE AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE SANEHANUSORN ROAD AREA FOR TOURISM

Abstract

This research aimed to analyze the dynamics of spatial use and the production of space for tourism in the Sanehanusorn Road area, Hat Yai District, Songkhla Province. A qualitative research methodology was employed. Data were collected through document analysis, field observation, and in-depth interviews with 30 key informants who had at least five years of experience related to the area. The informants were selected using snowball sampling and included representatives from government agencies, business operators, community leaders, and local residents. The data were analyzed using content analysis and interpretive analysis within the framework of Henri Lefebvre’s theory of the production of space. Data credibility was ensured through triangulation. The findings revealed that the dynamics of spatial use and the production of space in the Sanehanusorn Road area could be classified into three significant periods: 1) The Railway-Led Urban Formation Era (before 1972), during which the area was shaped by everyday life, mobility, commercial activities, and social interactions, gradually developing into a space of everyday practices; 2) The Entertainment Era (1972 - 1997), during which the area was shaped by urban development policies, urban planning, and investments from both the public and private sectors, transforming it into a major economic, service-business, and tourism hub of Hat Yai; and 3) The walking Street Era (1998 - 2025), during which the area was redefined through cultural tourism, creative activities, multi-stakeholder participation, and communication via social media. The findings demonstrate that urban space is not merely a physical structure but a social product resulting from interactions among government agencies, businesses, local communities, and tourists. Through these interactions, various actors continuously negotiate meanings, reshape patterns of spatial use, and construct new identities based on cultural capital within the context of a border city.