The Causal Factors of Brand Value and Brand Image Affecting Satisfaction Among Chinese Tourists Visiting Bangkok

Tourism plays a central role in Thailand’s economic and cultural development, with Chinese tourists representing the country’s largest and most dynamic inbound market. As travel preferences shift from group-based package tours toward digitally informed free independent travelers (FITs), tourism destinations must increasingly rely on strategic branding to attract, engage, and retain visitors. This study investigates the causal relationships among destination marketing, community collaboration, brand value, brand image, and tourist satisfaction among Chinese visitors to Bangkok. Using a mixed-method explanatory design, qualitative interviews were first conducted with tourism experts and Chinese tour operators to refine variables and inform instrument development. Quantitative data were subsequently collected from 402 Chinese tourists through online and fielddistributed questionnaires administered at high-traffic tourist locations. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to test hypothesized relationships. The findings indicate that both destination marketing and community collaboration significantly influence brand value and brand image, with community collaboration demonstrating stronger predictive power. Brand value and brand image, in turn, were found to strongly and positively affect tourist satisfaction, with brand image exerting a slightly greater influence. These results affirm that branding success cannot be achieved solely through promotional campaigns; it requires alignment between marketing narratives, community participation, and authentic experience delivery. The study contributes a validated causal model that can be used by destination management organizations, tourism operators, and policymakers to enhance strategic branding, improve experience delivery, and strengthen repeat visitation potential among independent Chinese travelers. Recommendations include prioritizing digital marketing channels, empowering local cultural stakeholders, and implementing service quality standards that reinforce branding promises. The study concludes that satisfaction is both an outcome of branding processes and a mechanism for sustaining Thailand’s tourism competitiveness through positive word-of-mouth and repeat visitation.