Abstract: "The aim of this thesis research is to explore the socio-­‐cultural changes due to tourism and how tourism related to local development. Tourism is one of the activities of human for pleasure. As more and more foreign tourists and domestic travelers have been visiting to Thaungthaman village?s tourist sites, impacts of tourism influence on the local business. The growth in tourism-­‐based industries, including sightseeing by boat, selling souvenirs and other local products to visitors has presented local residents with new options and alternative source of income. Besides, the financial returns from tourism activity are having an effect on the society. KII (Key informant interview), participant observation, FGI (Focus Group interview) were employed to get the data. As a result, this paper indicated that tourism is one of the opportunities to meet the peoples, who have not seen each other before, and to show and see the culture or places and to find the adventure.".....Paper delivered at the International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies: Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenges: University Academic Service Centre (UNISERV), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 24-­26 July 2015.