Visitors to Thailand’s urban and beach-sided tourist hotspots notice the presence of colourful and predominantly female vendors offering self-made and mass-manufactured souvenirs. This book investigates the social, economic, and political embeddedness of these informal vendors in an urban tourist context. Based on extensive field research, it presents a detailed analysis of urban-directed mobility patterns and discusses strategies and dilemmas in the urban souvenir business. Focusing on the development of urban ethnic minority souvenir stalls run mostly by people belonging to the highland group of Akha, the author explains the spatial expansion of ethnic businesses and assesses the economic and political obstacles micro-entrepreneurs are confronted with. The book offers an understanding of the everyday practices and social relations of and between unequally powerful actors related to ethnic minority tourism in urban contexts, and systematically integrates individual and collective action into socio-economic and politico-institutional contexts.

Alexander Trupp is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management (STHM) at the University of the South Pacific (USP) and editor-in-chief of the Austrian Journal of South-East Asian Studies (ASEAS).