Study of Thai Youths in the Northeastern Region of Thailand on the Effectiveness of Digital Payment Behavior

Abstract

Digital payment or e-payment is well known in the present digital age and cashless society because of its variety and benefit. With an increasing amount of digital payment technology, the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) has been utilized for decades to investigate consumers’ acceptance. However, youths’ behavioral intention toward digital payment usage in northeastern Thailand is unknown. We thus collected the data from 384 participants of Thai youths in the northeastern region. We discovered that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence expectancy positively influence youth’s behavioral intention. In addition, facilitating conditions and behavioral intention have a positive effect on youth’s use behavior. Furthermore, we found behavioral intention to be the strongest determinant in use behavior and that behavioral intention is the most influenced by performance expectancy. This result implies that more functional digital payment solutions lead to a robust intention to use by consumers. We anticipate that digital payment service providers will develop functional services and a user-friendly interface for the market. In a similar vein, we also expect businesses and entrepreneurs, as well as virtual or physical operations, to adopt digital payments and offer them to both existing and potential consumers.