Factors influencing the street food consumer experience in Bangkok after the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to study experiential expectations from the street food consumption of tourists and the factors that affect creating consumer experience after COVID-19 epidemic in Bangkok. This research uses quantitative method by studying from the concepts relating experiential expectations in the aspects of sensory, emotion, health, cooking processes and convenience, as well as creating a consumer experience of street food in Bangkok after COVID-19 epidemic. The sample group used in this study derives from 401 tourists or consumers who used to eat street food in Bangkok area. The statistics applied in analyzing information by using computer software consist of percentage, mean, standard deviation, variance analysis, and Stepwise multiple regression analysis. Most of the respondents are female, Gen Y (19-38 years), single, bachelor degree graduate, civil servant/state enterprise officer, Buddhism, with personal monthly income of 15,001 - 22,500 Baht. Regarding their eating patterns of street food restaurants, most of them have street food with lovers. Type of street food is main dish such as Pad Thai with shrimp, fried mussel pancakes, noodles, papaya salad. The information that influences on them before deciding to have street food is choosing service from the previous experience. The reason for eating street food is convenience and speed. During COVID-19 tourists considers choosing food when the can eat at restaurants and cleanliness whereas in the case of take away, they consider cleanliness. Tourists or consumers who used to eat street food in Bangkok area have experiential expectations in the aspect of sensory in the good level. They like material preparation and cooking and have comments on the factor of consumer situation during COVID-19 in the good level by focusing on hot food, cooked food from the restaurant, and safety from germs of food cooked by street food restaurants. The expectations (convenience, emotion, cooking process) have influences on consumer experience in Bangkok after COVID-19 epidemic with significant statistical level of .01. According to stepwise multiple regression correlation coefficient of forecast variable is used to forecast expectations (sensory, emotion, health, cooking process, and convenience). From the experience of street food consumers, we found out that in the aspect of convenience (X₅) regression correlation coefficient equals to 0.37 that means if we provide the importance of convenience 1 unit, the experience of street food consumers will increase 0.37 units. In the aspect of emotion (X₂) regression correlation coefficient equals to 0.31 that means if we provide the importance of emotion 1 unit, the experience of street food consumers will increase 0.31 units. In the aspect of cooking process (X₄) regression correlation coefficient equals to 0.24 that means if we provide the importance of cooking process 1 unit, the experience of street food consumers will increase 0.24 units.