Proceedings of Annual Tokyo Business Research Conference
15 - 16 December 2014, Waseda University, Tokyo, japan, ISBN: 978-1-922069-67-2
Tourist Satisfaction towards Suan Phueng Tourism in
Ratchaburi Province
Peerawas Suwanprapa*, Woranat Sangmanee** and Nuttawut Rojniruttikul***
This research aims to study 1) the level of tourist satisfaction towards Suan
Phueng tourism in Ratchaburi Province and 2) the factors influencing the
tourist satisfaction towards Suan Phueng tourism in Ratchaburi Province.
The researcher collected the data from 385 tourists visiting Suan Phueng,
Ratchaburi Province by using an accidental method. The tools used in this
research is the questionnaires. The collected data are analyzed by using the
statistical program. The statistics used in this research are percentage,
arithmetic mean, standard deviation. Multiple Linear Regression Analysis is
use for hypothesis testing. Reseach results reveal that 1) In overall, level of
tourist satisfaction towards Suan Phueng tourism in Ratchaburi Province is
in the medium level. The highest satisfaction is the place followed by the
products and services, marketing promotion, process, people, price, and
physical evidence respectively. 2) The expectation and perception could
influence the tourist satisfaction towards Suan Phueng tourism in Ratchaburi
Province. All independent variables could explain the variation in the tourist
satisfaction towards Suan Phueng tourism in Ratchaburi Province at 64.6
percent.
Field of Research: Marketing Research
1. Introduction
Tourism is the service industry with the rapid growth throughout all continents of the world.
The service system is provided for facilitating tourists, such as information service,
transportation service, facilitating service in entering – exiting the countries, service of
travel agencies, tourist guide service, accommodation service, restaurant service, souvenir
service, entertainment service, and system of security protection service. These are the
bridge to link the facilities to tourists in traveling to the attractions at their choices. The
results of using service and facilities including experiencing the tourist spots make the
tourists be able to tell how much they are impressed and satisfied. All countries which
promote tourism industry desire to develop their tourist attractions to be popular among
tourists in order to benefit enormously. Tourists can also help extend the results by
persuading other tourists to travel more leading to the income to the country (The
committee, 1997).
The travel of the noblemen in the past in Thailand was mostly not considered as travelling
in the sense of Tourism as at present. The traditional tour in the past was travelling to the
pilgrimage or to write the poem. For example, Prince Kung who was not a tourist
but he travelled to compose the poem and the epic song to be used in the royal
ceremony. In the past, there were both domestic and international travel such as going to
Myanmar, Cambodia, China, Portugal, Holland, England and France. But the purpose or
motive of these trips was for the trade, relationship development, wars, politics, religion
*Mr. Peerawas Suwanprapa, Administration and Management College, King Mongkut’s Institute of
Technology, Ladkrabang, Thailand, Email : Peerawas.su@gmail.com
**Associate Professor Dr. Woranat Sangmanee, Administration and Management College, King Mongkut’s
Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Thailand, Email : ksworana@kmitl.ac.th
***Assistant Professor Dr. Nuttawut Rojniruttikul, Administration and Management College, King Mongkut’s
Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Thailand, Email: krnuttaw@kmitl.ac.th
Proceedings of Annual Tokyo Business Research Conference
15 - 16 December 2014, Waseda University, Tokyo, japan, ISBN: 978-1-922069-67-2
and the main purpose of entertainment. However, entertainment was only one of the byproducts. In order to consider whether which journey is tourism, we have to see mainly the
purpose and destination (Kasetsiri C., 1997).
When referring to the word "tourism" nowadays, we often see the foreigners carrying their
cameras and walking in groups in temples, palaces, historic places, or on the beaches.
Some goes to see nature. These foreigners spend money for the accommodation, food,
and travel cost to visit different places, purchase of souvenirs making the foreign currency
entering to be used domestically. At the same time numbers of Thai travelers traveling in
the country also increase every year. This is probably because travelling is the way to
relax from work by traveling with family, traveling to learn about the culture, and traditions,
etc. When the transportation is convenient, traveling becomes so popular. A lot of
business grows up to serve the travel of tourists such as transportation business, lodging
and food business, traveling business, and souvenir trade service to serve the tourists.
There are also indirectly related businesses such as construction of buildings, lodging,
restaurants, production of agricultural products to sell to lodging and food business,
production of local handicraft to serve the souvenir shops, etc. These businesses result in
the new career and the distribution of money to promote economic and social development
(Tourism Authority of Thailand, 1986:3).
Ratchaburi Province is a western province with a variety of terrains, long history, and
consists of people of various ethnicities. Nowadays, Ratchaburi Province is a city filled with
various history, art, culture and tradition combined harmoniously. Ratchaburi Province has
various interesting tourist places and activities which are archeological places, antiques,
and handicrafts such as pottery, casting, weaving, and basketry. The province is also rich
of beautiful nature and is not located far from Bangkok. Therefore, it is one of the important
tourist destination cities of the region with many tourist attractions as beautiful as other
provinces nearby. The numbers of Thai and foreign tourists in Ratchaburi Province coming
it is found that the overall tendency is likely to increase possibly due to the potential of
tourist attractions or the factors of tourists such as taking a rest from work, traveling with
family or friends, etc. (The Department of Tourism, 2012)
The remarkable point making Ratchaburi Province distinctive from other tourist provinces
is the ecotourism, particularly Suan Phueng District which is very popular among a lot of
tourists. Suan Phueng is a district of Ratchaburi Province which has the terrain in the
highland. The atmosphere resembles the northern part of the country. There is the high
natural abundance ideally for tourists who like traveling in nature. Currently, many
investors allocate the attractions to suit the natural atmosphere of Suan Phueng such as
sheep farms, nature trail driving, etc. The accommodation has been built based on nature
such as lodging house of soil and open-air bathroom to experience the fresh air. These are
the entrepreneurs’ hope to meet the needs of the tourists as today's tourists turn to focus
on natural traveling more. This is possibly from the need of natural freshness to relax from
a busy work or obligations or to avoid the chaos of the city to experience the peaceful
countryside. Therefore, Suan Phueng, Ratchaburi Province tries to improve in all areas in
order to respond to the tourists’ satisfaction as much as possible and in accordance with
the perception and expectation of tourists as much as possible. The tourists will be happy
in many occasions when traveling to Suan Phueng, Ratchaburi Province.
Thus, the researcher is interested in studying the tourists’ satisfaction towards Suan
Phueng tourism in Ratchaburi Province contributed to the development and improvement
Proceedings of Annual Tokyo Business Research Conference
15 - 16 December 2014, Waseda University, Tokyo, japan, ISBN: 978-1-922069-67-2
of weakness and leading to an increase in the numbers of people traveling to Suan
Phueng, Ratchaburi Province.
2. Literature Review
Satisfaction refers to the attitudes and pleasure in one thing. Attitudes and pleasure can be
used interchangeably as they are the result of a person engaging in such things. The
positive attitude is shown to be the satisfaction of such things whereas the negative
attitude is shown to be the dissatisfaction (Vroom, 1954:99). The satisfaction of customers
referred in Kaewmanee N. (2006:25) says that the satisfaction is to response to the
customers. When the feeling is fulfilled, it is determined that the features of the products
and services or the products and services can fulfill the feeling of customers to such
products and services. (Oliver, 1993). The satisfaction is to feel happy when we get the
achievement following our aims, need, or motivation (Wolman, 1973:384). The satisfaction
in tourism is traveling and the impression of what we see. This creates the happiness and
satisfaction to the individuals. Therefore, there is the travel in order to try to seek for
happiness for ourselves (Wongpaichitr S., 1991:15) The satisfaction in the service can be
classified into two meanings associated with the Job Satisfaction in Service and Customer
Satisfaction in Service. The good service will make the customers satisfied with the service
and cause the business to be able to retain their customers and have a good income.
When the income is high, the workers can gain more income and they will satisfy with the
responsible job. The companies can also retain the staffs which will reduce the resignation
or change of works. The employees who have the expertise and ability to respond with
quality service following the expectations of customers will make the customers satisfied to
continue using the service to reach the success of such services (Dachakutta J., 1997:19).
The expectations of each customer will vary and will include expectations and acceptable
distance of 3 components: 1. Desired Service which is the need of the service users and
what they believe to be possible to receive or should receive, 2. Adequate Service: in each
time of service, there may be some obstacles hindering the result not to be as expected.
The distance between the expectations of the customers which they hope to receive and
the lowest level of service that is acceptable by the customers have been referred as the
distance between the expectations of the customers. 3. Zone of Tolerance: in receiving the
result of the services of business enterprise and the acceptance of minimum result that is
acceptable by the customers. Moreover such distance is also caused by the differences in
giving service of other types such as uncertainty services arising from the service provider
or from different types of service that is different in each country or culture. Zeithaml,
Bitner and Gremler (2006). The expectation of human is to think ahead. This may not be
as expected. However, it plays an important role for the behaviors of persons (Asawakul
S., 1985:1). The expectation means the feelings, opinions, perceptions, interpretations, or
forecasts of future events that have not happened to someone else. It is also the
expectation of the parties involved with the expectation or the demand that person to act
as they want or expect (Pornpanuvitch C., 1997:6). The expectation is the attitude related
to the needs or desires which the consumers expect to obtain from such services
(Sukhanindr R., 2004:12-13). The expectation is the prediction. It is the feeling and
expectation that helps the decision making of the individuals to choose to do something. In
the case that there are several demands at the same time, it is considered that the
expectation is the motivation that makes the individuals behave. The goal must be
considered whether how much it is valuable and the actions can be expected to reach the
goal. The behaviors have to rely on the actual ability (Charoensawat Y., 2000: 24).
Proceedings of Annual Tokyo Business Research Conference
15 - 16 December 2014, Waseda University, Tokyo, japan, ISBN: 978-1-922069-67-2
The recognition process is the process to use our previous recognition linked to the feeling
at that time and interpreting the recognition. The use of our previous recognition is, for
example, thinking of a face of person we have met or the complicated picture which we
have known. This is to retrieve the memories or previous knowledge to use in interpreting
the recognition. The recognition will be linked to what we recognize at that time. In this
case, this refers to the stimuli in the environment such as color, size, shape, texture and
dimension that will influence our perception. (Matlin, 2002). Perception is the process
which the brain interprets or translates the messages from the exposure of the body to
stimuli or the environment. This enables us to know what we experience, whet its meaning
is, and how it is. This requires the experience in interpreting or translating (Garrison and
Magoon, 1972: 607). The process of perception starts from the recognition of stimuli in the
environment. This encourages the individual’s attention and concentration on such things
through the senses including the ears, eyes, nose, mouth and body. After that, the person
will interpret or translate the obtained data and the reaction (Sriboonnark N., 2002).
Sometimes the social perception causes the expectation on per persons. For example, if
we recognize that someone is a soldier, we expect him to be strong. Thus, the expectation
influences the behaviors of individuals because the expectation is like the image which is
represented to be consistent (Surakitborvorn S., 2002).
3. The Methodology and Model
In this research, the researcher studies the “tourists’ satisfaction towards Suan Phueng
tourism in Ratchaburi Province". The population of this research are Thai tourists Suan
Phueng, Ratchaburi Province. 385 samples are collected by accidented method. The data
is collected by sending the questionnaires to the tourist attractions and by collecting the
data in Suan Phueng District, Ratchaburi Province. The questionnaires used in the
research consist of three parts:
Part 1 is the questionnaire on individual factors of tourists which are gender, age, marital
status, hometown, occupation and monthly income. The obtained data will be calculated to
find the frequency and percentage.
Part 2 is the questionnaire on the expectation, perception and satisfaction towards
Suan Phueng tourism in Ratchaburi Province. The questionnaire is in the form of Likert
Scale with the answers to choose in 5 levels. The Multiple Linear Regression Analysis is
used for testing hypotheses.
Part 3 is other recommendations on Suan Phueng tourism.
Hypothesis: The expectation and perception influence the tourists’ satisfaction towards
Suan Phueng tourism in Ratchaburi Province
Theoretical Model: The researcher has developed the framework from the research of
TakKee Hui, David Wan, Alvin Ho (2006). In this research, the researcher has focused on
the tourists visiting Singapore. The evaluation is on the overall expectation, perception and
satisfaction to the products and services to be used in confirming the overall satisfaction
and the likeliness in recommending or traveling again of the tourists. The researcher has
concluded the framework to be used as the approach to research as shown in Figure 1.
Proceedings of Annual Tokyo Business Research Conference
15 - 16 December 2014, Waseda University, Tokyo, japan, ISBN: 978-1-922069-67-2
Figure 1: Conceptual Framework
Expectation towards
Suan Phueng tourism
Satisfaction
towards
Suan Phueng tourism
Perception towards
Suan Phueng tourism
4. The Findings
Table 1: Individual Factors of Tourists
Individual factors
Frequency
1. Gender
Male
Female
Total
2. Age
Under or equal to 20 years
Over 20 years – 30 years
Over 30 years - 40 years
Over 40 years - 50 years
Over 50 years
Total
3. Marital status
Single
Married
Divorced/widow/separated
Total
4. Hometown
Northern region
Central region
Eastern region
Western region
Northeastern region
Southern region
Total
5. Occupation
Full time employee
Housewife
Government official/state enterprise official
Self-employed/Private business
Part time employee
Students
Others
Total
Percentage
164
221
385
42.60
57.40
100.00
52
162
96
49
26
385
13.51
42.08
24.93
12.73
6.75
100.00
218
153
14
385
56.62
39.74
3.64
100.00
16
149
25
148
27
20
385
4.16
38.70
6.49
38.44
7.01
5.20
100.00
114
14
76
50
32
89
10
385
29.61
3.64
19.74
12.99
8.31
23.12
2.59
100.00
Proceedings of Annual Tokyo Business Research Conference
15 - 16 December 2014, Waseda University, Tokyo, japan, ISBN: 978-1-922069-67-2
Table 1 Individual factors of tourists (continued)
Individual factors
Frequency
6. Monthly income
Under or equal to 15,000 baht
156
Over 15,000 baht -25,000 baht
92
Over 25,000 baht -35,000 baht
69
Over 35,000 baht -45,000 baht
39
Over 45,000 baht
29
Total
385
Percentage
40.52
23.90
17.92
10.13
7.53
100.00
According to Table 1, it is found that most tourists are female in the age of over 20 years –
30 years, single, living in the central and western regions, being the full time employees
with monthly income of less than 15,000 baht.
Table 2 Mean ( ̅), standard deviation (S.D.), Level, and Rank of tourists’ satisfaction
towards Suan Phueng tourism
Satisfaction towards Suan Phueng tourism
S.D.
Level
Rank
1. Products and services
2. Price
3. Place
4. Marketing promotion
5. Personnel
6. Process
7. Physical evidence
Overall
3.543
3.382
3.552
3.540
3.533
3.538
3.326
0.641
0.697
0.640
0.708
0.698
0.690
0.739
High
Medium
High
High
High
High
Medium
2
6
1
3
5
4
7
3.488
0.563
Medium
-
According to Table 2, it is found that the overall tourists’ satisfaction towards Suan Phueng
tourism is in the medium level. The satisfaction on the place is in the highest level followed
products and services, marketing promotion, process, people, price, and physical
evidence, respectively.
Table 3 Mean ( ̅) and standard deviation (S.D.) of the expectation and perception towards
Suan Phueng tourism
Factors
S.D.
Expectation towards Suan Phueng tourism
3.747
0.671
Perception towards Suan Phueng tourism
3.438
0.604
According to Table 3, it is found that the expectation towards Suan Phueng tourism is in
the high level. The tourists’ perception towards Suan Phueng tourism is in the medium
level.
Proceedings of Annual Tokyo Business Research Conference
15 - 16 December 2014, Waseda University, Tokyo, japan, ISBN: 978-1-922069-67-2
Table 4 Test of hypothesis by using the multiple linear regression
b
t
P-value
Constant
0.817
7.653
0.000**
Expectation towards Suan Phueng tourism
0.095
2.725
0.000**
Perception towards Suan Phueng tourism
0.673
17.347
0.000**
Factors
R2= 0.646, F = 348.969, p-value = 0.000**
Remark**with statistical significance at the level of 0.01
According to Table 4, it is found that R2= 0.646 which can explain that all of the
independent variables can explain the variation in the tourists’ satisfaction towards Suan
Phueng tourism in Ratchaburi Province for 64.6 per cent. The perception influences the
tourists’ satisfaction most with the statistical significance at the level of 0.01 followed by
the expectation influencing the satisfaction towards Suan Phueng tourism in Ratchaburi
Province with the statistical significance at the level of 0.01.
5. Conclusions
The perception influences the tourists’ satisfaction towards Suan Phueng tourism in
Ratchaburi Province most. This is because the tourists have been studied the information
before making a trip to Suan Phueng, Ratchaburi Province by searching the information
from internet, advertisement, or being recommended from the close people who had been
there before. When they actually come, they feel that the reality is as same as the data
they have received before. Therefore, they are satisfied with the tourism. This is consistent
with the research of Ching-Fu Chen and Fu-Shian Chen (2010) noted that the perception
has a positive effect on the satisfaction of the cultural tourists in travelling to the city of
Tainan. The perception value affects both directly and indirectly on the satisfaction
following the intended behavior of the tourists. Therefore, the results of study on the
perception towards Suan Phueng tourism are directly related to the tourists’ satisfaction
towards Suan Phueng tourism in Ratchaburi Province.
The expectation influences the tourists’ satisfaction towards Suan Phueng tourism in
Ratchaburi Province. This is because before travelling, the tourists would expect in the
place or services to obtain from travelling to Suan Phueng, Ratchaburi Province. If the
expectations have been met, it will cause the satisfaction. This is consistent with the
research of Akın Aksu, et al. (2010) stated that the expectations and satisfaction of tourists
have the relationship going in the same direction with the statistical significance at the
level of 0.01. Consequently, when the tourists have the expectation on travelling to Suan
Phueng, Ratchaburi Province, it results in the satisfaction towards Suan Phueng tourism in
Ratchaburi Province as well.
Recommendations
According to the study on the tourists’ satisfaction towards Suan Phueng tourism in
Ratchaburi Province, it is found that the satisfaction in terms of price and physical
environment is in the medium level. The researcher has some recommendations for the
government, the private sectors and entrepreneurs. In terms of price, the price for food
and shelters should be reduced in order to attract more customers to use the service.
Proceedings of Annual Tokyo Business Research Conference
15 - 16 December 2014, Waseda University, Tokyo, japan, ISBN: 978-1-922069-67-2
Regarding the physical evidence, various attractions should be improved, developed and
maintained regularly. The awareness of natural conservation should be raised to minimize
the damage. This is an important aspect for Suan Phueng tourism in Ratchaburi Province.
The level of tourists’ satisfaction should be increased in order to be beneficial as a
guideline to develop the satisfaction in other aspects more as well.
According to the study on the perception of tourists towards the tourism in Suan Phung,
Ratchaburi Province, the perception is in the medium level. The researcher has some
recommendations to the government, the private sector and the entrepreneurs in
improving the public relations via internet media, billboards, or various electronic media to
provide the information about tourist attractions or accommodation explicitly. These should
be installed in the view that is attractive and obvious. The information should be easily
understood in order to increase the attraction in seeing or paying attention of tourists. This
can increase the perception which is convenient and the obtained information will be
accurate.
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