THE PERCEPTION OF THAI TOURISTS ON THE COMMERCIAL LAUNCH OF BETONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND THEIR DECISION MAKING TO TRAVEL

Abstract

The aim of this research was to study the perception and decision making on traveling to Betong, Yala of Thai tourists influenced by the official opening of Betong International Airport where the flight from Bangkok to Betong, and vice versa have started the operations from March 2022. This is a quantitative study implementing survey research which collected data from a sample of 400 people using questionnaires as a research tool. Statistics used to analyze data include frequency values, percentage values, averages, and standard deviations, whereas data were analyzed by using a computer software package. The results showed that most respondents had a low and the lowest perception regarding the official opening of Betong International Airport, and the operation of flight from Bangkok to Betong, and vice versa by very few airlines. Two-hundred and twenty-three participants (or 55.8%) had never perceived the information form any of the media. If air transportation was an alternative to go to Betong, 137 tourists (or 34.3% of the tourists) would decide to visit Betong. One-hundred and thirty-four Thai tourists (or 33.5%) agreed that traveling by air transportation is more convenient and safer than land transportation. Based on the perception of 141 people, or 35.3 percent of the sample group, they are concerned about traveling to Betong on the road due to the insurgency that has been occurring in the southern region. Based on the hypotheses, it was found that 335 people, representing 83.8 percent of the tourists, had never visited Betong due to the inconvenience of transportation.  Therefore, public relations regarding the availability of flights to Betong International Airport should be enhanced to enlighten the tourists more alternatives of transportation to Betong.