Services In Thailand Research Articles

MEDICAL TOURISM IN THAILAND: A CASE STUDY OF THE BANGKOK METROPOLITAN AREA

This research aims to explore the current state and potential of medical services in Thailand. The researchers applied a qualitative approach to study the current situation of medical tourism in Thailand. Data collection for this study was carried out between May 1, 2022 and June 15, 2022 using purposeful sampling. The sampling criteria for this study were as follows: 1) individuals with a minimum of three years of direct or indirect experience in medical tourism, such as those working in medical service or hospitality management teams; 2) foreign tourists who have been treated in Thailand.
 Overall, medical tourists have significant potential for the Thai medical service industry. They demonstrate a willingness to spend more and face fewer problems during their medical journeys. In addition, most medical tourists appreciate the quality of Thai hospitality and medical services. The study also indicates that the private sector has a large market share in the medical tourism industry. It is believed that private medical facilities and service providers are better equipped to meet the needs and preferences of medical tourists.

FACTORS AFFECTING OUTSOURCING DECISIONS FOR FACILITY MANAGEMENT SERVICES

This research aimed to explore factors that affect outsourcing decisions for Facility Management (FM) services in Thailand. It was based on the result of 290 respondents authorized to make decisions on outsourcing Facility Management services. Due to differences in each business field, factors that affect outsourcing decisions were also dissimilar. The goal of decisions, in general, was to choose outsourcing services instead of using in-house resources which reflected business needs in terms of management, strategy, economics, or others to help facilitate and increase the competition level. The results of decision makers' perceptions showed that important factors in different industries considerably varied. The most important factors were management and quality factors which were strongly supported by the Core Competency theory. Meanwhile, the Transaction Cost Economics theory was still significant but not regarded as a top priority for business concerns in the present uncertain period.

The Development of Service Metrics Indicators of a Public Transportation Service Case Study: Intercity Trains in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand

This research studied the relationships of indicators related to the selection of intercity train services in Thailand’s Nakhon Ratchasima province. The goal was to examine the characteristics of the intercity train services and the factors that influence choosing them. The research tool used to collect data consisted of 508 sets of questionnaires completed by samples who had used the intercity train service. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling to investigate the service quality and customer satisfaction indicators affecting the selection of intercity train services. The study found that the service quality indicators included station, service, staff, and vehicle. The customer satisfaction indicators included station, service, travel promotions, and price satisfaction. However, when the service quality indicators were investigated, they had a direct positive effect on customer satisfaction at the 0.01 level of statistical significance. Passengers are most satisfied with obtaining travel information, such as train timetables, fares, and updated information. The involved agencies can use the study’s findings to determine policies and formulate plans for information management and intercity train service metrics.

Underdiagnosis of silicosis revealed by reinterpretation of chest radiographs in Thai ceramic workers.

In Thailand, epidemiological data on silicosis in the ceramic sector is lacking and the underdiagnosis of silicosis remains an extensive concern. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of silicosis and the extent of underdiagnosis among Thai ceramic workers by reinterpreting chest radiographs previously taken by a health check-up unit. This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on ceramic workers undergoing health surveillance using chest radiographs in one ceramic factory in September 2018. All chest radiographs were done retrospectively, then were reinterpreted by professional readers specially trained in using the ILO International Classification of Radiograph of Pneumoconioses (ILO/ICRP). Chest radiographs with a profusion of 1/1 or greater were suggestive of silicosis. Out of the 244 participants undergoing chest radiography, the prevalence of silicosis was 2.9%. Overall, the mean age of the participants was 41 years, and 72.1% were female. Among individuals with silicosis, the median age was 43 years; 71.4% were male; the average employment duration was 26.9 years; while the male sex was the significant variable associated with silicosis with an odds ratio of 7.01 (95% confidence interval 1.31 to 37.4). Regarding the underdiagnosis, the health check-up unit failed to recognize all individuals with silicosis, and could not detect any radiographic chest abnormalities in 57.1% of those with silicosis. Despite the low prevalence of silicosis among Thai ceramic workers, this finding indicates ongoing exposure to silica in the ceramic industry. In addition, a significant proportion of the silicosis cases were underrecognized. Future efforts to prevent underdiagnosis and improve an occupational health surveillance service in Thailand are needed.

Determinants and barriers of prehospital emergency medical services utilization among general critical emergency patients in Thailand

This cross-sectional study identified the determinants and barriers of pre- hospital emergency medical services (EMS) utilization among general critical emergency patients in Thailand, using the data of general critical emergency patients (red zone) from the information technology for emergency medical system (ITEMS) of the National Emergency Medical Service Institute. The sample of 889 critical emergency patients was selected through multistage random sampling method. Data were analyzed by multiple logistic regression. The findings indicated that 41.51% of general critical emergency patients used EMS through the EMS rescue hotline system of the National Institute of Emergency Medicine in which most of them were diabetic patients (24.75%). The determinants relating to EMS utilization of general critical emergency patients consisted of level of knowledge on EMS system (AdjOR: 5.77; 95%CI: 2.8-11.87), confidence in the safety of service utilization (AdjOR: 5.04; 95%CI: 3.65-6.98), recognition in service and severity of illness (AdjOR: 3.22; 95%CI: 2.17-4.76), service adequacy (AdjOR: 1.92; 95%CI: 1.41-2.63), educational background (AdjOR:1.69; 95%CI: 1.13-2.53), and service satisfaction (AdjOR: 1.14; 95%CI: 1.07-1.21). Nearly half of the people were utilizing the EMS services in Thailand. However, required level of knowledge on EMS, confidence on safety on service utilization, service adequacy as well as patient’s educational background had tremendous role on the proper utilization of EMS.

Atmospheric corrosion behaviors of 6000-series aluminum alloy under tropical climate influences of Thailand

Abstract The current research was aimed to investigate atmospheric corrosion behaviors of 6005A and 6082 aluminum alloys for a certain application in high-speed railway employed for service in Thailand. Actual exposure atmospheric test with the maximum period of 18 months was conducted at urban and marine–coastal environments. After completion of actual exposure test, corrosion behaviors of the uncoated alloys were determined based on corrosion mass loss and pitting corrosion aspects. It turned out that remarkable corrosion severity found at marine–coastal environment with respect to urban environment was attributed to higher deposition rates of cumulative chloride (around 1331 mg m−2 day−1) and sulfur dioxide (around 200 mg m−2 day−1) together with higher levels of RH (>80%) for the entire year of exposure. The alloys exposed at marine–coastal environment for 18 months long revealed the corrosion mass loss of approximately 2 g m−2, average pit depth of greater than 80 μm, and density of around 3 pits⋅cm−2.

The Roles of Personal Innovation and Task Technology Fit in Mobile Payment Retention

Purpose - This research aims to investigate the continuance intention of mobile payment services in Thailand based on the perceived innovativeness (PI) and task-technology fit (TTF) theories. The high attrition rate of mobile payment services in the market and lack of studies exploring the effect of personal attributes on continuance intention motivate the research. Design/Methodology/Approach - 544 Thai mobile payment users were surveyed. Relationships between mobile technology skills, perceived usefulness of mobile payment services, perceived ease of use, PI, TTF, and continuance intention were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings - The results indicate that perceived usefulness is the primary antecedent for TTF. Both TTF and PI were also found to have a significantly positive effect on the increase of continuance intention to use mobile payment services. Moreover, PI was found to have a strong negative moderating effect on the relationship between perceived task-technology fit and the continuance intention of using mobile payment services. Research Implications - The findings provide important insights for mobile payment service providers on how to effectively target users and increase the intention to continue using mobile payment services.

Historical Records Fail to Support Agent Orange Exposure of Veterans Stationed in Thailand

In the case of Thailand and its many airbases, the Compensation Service of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs has not conducted a comprehensive search of the historical records that were retrieved from Vietnam and are now a continuing source of research. Thailand veterans were previously eligible for health care for any injuries they incurred during their service in Thailand. However, they were not eligible for health care for diseases and compensation as provided to Vietnam veterans under the Agent Orange Act of 1991. Recently, the “Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act” (PACT Act) was passed by the United States Congress that permits veterans who served in Thailand and Guam during the Vietnam War to be eligible for health care and compensation for their exposure to Agent Orange, despite the absence of any evidence from historical records. Too often the pressure from members of Congress, as in the case of Thailand and Guam, the enactment of the PACT Act dictated a course of action. This action and others involving Agent Orange are examples where “political” forces make a mockery of the science and historical records.

Geometric and Statistical Assessments on Horizontal Positioning Accuracy in Relation with GNSS CORS Triangulations of NRTK Positioning Services in Thailand

Thailand has implemented GNSS Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) and Network Real-Time Kinematic (NRTK) Positioning services collaborated by several government agencies and universities for various applications. This research includes 114 GNSS CORSs; providing 143 triangle loops and covering 63 provinces nationwide, to determine and analyse the obtained horizontal positioning accuracy and their ground station geometries. Triangulation networks are categorised in terms of shapes and baseline distances. Well- and ill-conditioned triangles are defined in accordance with different baseline lengths. The horizontal positioning accuracy is computed using static and NRTK positioning determinations whilst static positioning results are defined as the ground truth. Student's T tests are used to ensure the significance of calculated results according to each test case. The results show obtained horizontal positioning accuracies are within the specified accuracy of less than 4 centimetres and do not show any significant differences based on the defined significant level of 0.05. This GNSS CORS triangulation network geometry scheme does not influence the computed horizontal positioning accuracy obtained from NRTK-Virtual Reference Station (VRS) GNSS positioning services; however, the positioning accuracy is still directly due to distances between nearest GNSS CORS or its triangulation network, therefore, further suggestions are provided.

PUBLIC SERVICE OF CREATIVE CITY IN PHUKET FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT

Public Service in Thailand is changed by national and international social factors which it can be said that an investment from privatesector in government affairs are one of the efficiency service opportunities to people. The public service of the creative city in Phuket according to the mission of the local government organization where the power and duty to solve problems in the area to meet theneeds of the people. The local government organizations carry out their missions in accordance with the National Economic and SocialDevelopment Plan provincial development plan district development plans, district development plans, public policies and policies of local administrators. Regarding to the seven (7) missions of local government organizations with Act Prescribing Plans and Decentralization Procedures for Local Government Organizations in 1999 which are comprise of: (1) Standard Structure; (2) Quality of life; (3) Social discipline and safety; (4) Investment plan and Commerce and tourism contribution; (5) Conservation management in natural resources and environment; (6) Religion, Culture, and Local innovation; and (7) Managing and supporting in missions of government agencies and local government organizations. In addition, the innovation of public service in the creative city of Phuket is to develop a city which can support the city growth. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is aimed to provide a brief overview of the public service innovation and creative city: Phuket, Thailand. This can serve as a lesson to the government in terms of formulating policies and strategies to handle the pandemic in the future.

THE CORRELATION BETWEEN INTROVERT-EXTROVERT PERSONALITY AND SATISFACTORY OF USING TELEMEDICINE SERVICE

The COVID-19 pandemic created a catastrophic impact on many people’s lives globally. Technologies, especially telemedicine services, have increasingly played significant roles in human lives. Applications for telemedicine are being developed more often as well as becoming more in demand(Bestsennyy et al., 2022). A lot of doctor's appointments are now conducted virtually. Telemedicine use is growing significantly in Thailand.The importance of telemedicine has become even more obvious. As COVID-19 is a human-to-human transmission disease, the virus spread widely, and many people got infected. There are several preventative measures used to protect an individual from this situation, including a lockdown policy.However some people went to the hospital for treatment, but others were afraid of going to the hospital. For this reason, telemedicine is used to facilitate patients who do not want to leave their homes. It directly affected extroverted people. Extroverted people are the kinds of people who feel comfortable in large groups they enjoy other people’s energy and get to engage with people around them and they may be more likely to spearhead group sports or group outings.To investigate whether the personality type influences how telemedicine is used. This research was conducted with the aim to find the correlation between introverted-extroverted personality and the decision to use a telemedicine service. We conducted a cross-sectional survey consisting of 25 questions and data was collected from 127 participants who use telemedicine services in Thailand using an online survey questionnaire through Google form. Correlation analysis revealed that there is a weak positive correlation between the introverted-extroverted personality and the decision to use a telemedicine service (r(127) = .46, p <0.01).

Youths’ Perceptions Regarding Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Services

Sexual and reproductive health services in Thailand have been provided in accordance with a national policy and strategic plan, but youths’ sexual and reproductive health problems remain relatively high. A significant problem is youths’ low access to appropriate services. This paper reports the first qualitative descriptive phase of participatory action research project, which aimed to develop a model for improving access to sexual and reproductive health services among youths. The study’s purpose was to explore perceptions of youths regarding access to sexual and reproductive health services in northern Thailand. Qualitative data were collected from September 2019 to March 2020 through focus group discussions with 59 youths aged 15-24 years and in-depth interviews with four youths who had experienced an adolescent pregnancy. All participants were purposively recruited and volunteered. The data were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using content analysis.Reflecting factors emerged from youths’ needs and contexts toward access to sexual and reproductive health services. Five categories were classified: 1) inaccessibility to existing services, 2) unacceptability of available services, 3) unaware of access to effective information, 4) community’s negative attitude toward youths accessing services, and 5) availability of other convenience services. These findings provide useful information for healthcare providers, particularly nurses and other stakeholders to better understand the perspectives of youths, enhance awareness of collaboration, and promote participation among youths in the development of intervention and strategies to improve access to sexual and reproductive health services.

PrEP stigma among current and non-current PrEP users in Thailand: A comparison between hospital and key population-led health service settings.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has demonstrated effectiveness in high-risk populations. PrEP service in Thailand became free of charge under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in 2021. The National Health Security Office launched a pilot project in 2020 to ensure sustainable service delivery, and the national monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework was adopted to evaluate early phase implementation. We carried out a cross-sectional survey as part of the M&E process to investigate PrEP stigma among current and non-current PrEP users from both hospital and Key Population Led Health Services (KPLHS) settings in Thailand. Between August and October 2020, an online cross-sectional survey was conducted. A link for a self-administered questionnaire was distributed to all active PrEP centers and PrEP clients were then recruited by PrEP providers. Descriptive and univariate analysis using Chi-square were applied in the analyses. Attitudes toward PrEP were ranked from the most negative to the most positive. The negative attitude can be interpreted as PrEP stigma. This study included 513 PrEP clients (355 from hospitals and 158 from KPLHS). In both settings, respondents' attitudes toward PrEP were generally positive, but some potential stigma was observed. 31.8% of hospital PrEP clients and 9.5% of KPLHS clients agreed that PrEP users should keep their pills hidden from others. Almost half (44.5%) of hospital clients and 18.4% of KPLHS clients agreed that PrEP users are often viewed negatively by society. More than 20% of hospital clients and 12% of KPLHS agreed that PrEP users frequently experience difficulties when their partner/lover/family find out that he or she is on PrEP. Respondents from the hospitals had slightly higher PrEP stigma than those from KPLHS. According to our findings, at the policy level, the campaign to provide PrEP education to all groups of people should be continued in order to promote a positive view of PrEP and reduce PrEP-related stigma among the general population, which is critical for successful PrEP implementation.

Household Need and Unmet Need for Caregivers of Older Persons in Thailand

ABSTRACT The need for caregivers is a crucial issue in Thailand. This research examined levels and trends of household needs and unmet needs for caregivers of older persons and explored potential factors associated with these needs. The analysis utilized data from the Survey of Older Persons in Thailand 2007, 2011, 2014, and 2017. The household need for a caregiver of older persons was defined as a household with one or more older people who needed a caregiver to help them perform basic activities of daily living. The unmet need for a caregiver referred to households where at least one older person in the household needed care but did not receive it. Findings illustrated the increasing levels and trends of household needs as well as unmet needs over time. In terms of potential determinants, older person households in Bangkok and households with higher socioeconomic status were more likely to be the household need for caregivers. In contrast, those households in the Northeastern, the poorest region, were more likely to be the unmet need household. These findings are indicative of the rising demand for long-term care services in Thailand. However, it is vital to consider unmet household needs, especially in the worse-off area, when designing national policies.

Factors influencing implementation of assistive technology services for older adults from the perspectives of Thai occupational therapists: a mixed methods study

Purpose Occupational therapists are crucial in providing assistive technology (AT) services for older adults. However, evidence has shown limited provision of such services in Thailand. This study aimed to investigate the factors that influence the implementation of AT services for older adults from the perspectives of Thai occupational therapists. Methods An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was guided by the measurement instrument for determinants of innovations and literature review. This study was conducted in two phases: quantitative and qualitative. During the quantitative phase, an adapted version of the Measurement Instrument for Determinants of Innovations was administered to 96 occupational therapists (OTs). A subsample of 5 OTs completed a semi-structured interview during the qualitative phase to explain the findings in the quantitative one. Results Factors were categorized into three sections: personal, organizational and socio-political context levels. At the personal level, integrating knowledge and experience could contribute to awareness and professional competency. Client satisfaction influenced OTs to utilize AT, based on a client centred manner. With coordinator and performance feedback within the organization, OTs indicated that consultants supported them in their decision-making. In contrast, availability of AT for older adults is determined by time and resources. Moreover, at the socio-political context level, legislation and regulations may permit or prohibit accessibility of assistive devices. Conclusion In order to address current challenges, education or training programmes are needed to increase the awareness and competence of OTs. In addition, collaboration with other professionals in community settings is necessary to improve access to AT services. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION AT service for older adults is limited by the availability of time and resources. To handle with these challenges, occupational therapists could advocate for village health volunteers to be a part of the AT services for older adults in the community to increase AT accessibility for older adults. Additional education or training programs should be developed to build competencies and increase occupational therapists’ awareness of providing AT services to older adults, as well as to strengthen their roles in AT services. Future research and health policies should focus on access to sufficient funding, and resources for occupational therapists relative to their role in implementing AT services.

Trends in pre-hospital emergency calls and transportation data for emergency medical services in Thailand

Trends in pre-hospital emergency calls and transportation data for emergency medical services in Thailand

Certification of lay providers to deliver key population-led HIV services in Thailand's National Healthcare System: lessons learned.

Certification of lay providers to deliver key population-led HIV services in Thailand's National Healthcare System: lessons learned.

The customer experience in Thailand's multichannel retail environments

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate cognitive and affective customer service in Thailand's maltichannel retail environment. The research used the stimulus–organism–response model of consumer behaviour. The study's theoretical framework incorporated the multichannel service quality framework (Sousa and Voss, 2006) and a decomposed measure of customer experience, including cognitive and affective customer experience (Gao et al., 2021). Outcomes investigated included repurchase intention and word-of-mouth intention.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative survey of Thai consumers (aged 18 and over) who had purchased from multichannel retailers at least one time in the past year (n = 502) was conducted. Data were collected online and analysed using a structural equation modelling approach.FindingsSignificant factors in cognitive customer experience and affective customer experience included breadth of channel choice, transparency of channel, content consistency and process consistency. Effects differed in strength on these effects. Cognitive customer experience and affective customer experience influenced repurchase intention and word-of-mouth intention, with a stronger effect from affective customer experience.Originality/valueThis research presents an integrative model for customer experience in multichannel marketing, incorporating a well-established model of multichannel service quality and a decomposed measure of customer experience. It also illustrates the difference between cognitive customer experience and affective customer experience, which have different effect sizes from antecedents and different effects on outcome variables. This finding is a significant theoretical advancement.

AN EXPLORATORY FACTOR ANALYSIS OF THAINESS EXPERIENCE-CENTRIC SERVICE CONSTRUCTION FOR BOUTIQUE HOTEL GUESTS

The COVID-19 outbreak has inevitably impacted the global hotel industry, which will result in a shift from traditional services to personalized and specialized services to reduce the confrontation. This study was to examine the characteristics of Thainess experience-centric service (TECS), based on the perspective of boutique hotel guests during the COVID-19 pandemic, to develop and test scales for measuring TECS, a new component of boutique hotel services in Thailand. The quantitative method was administered. Multi-stage sampling was approached, and questionnaires were used to collect data from 112 self-identified boutique hotel guests via an online survey by Google form to examine the TECS attributes. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was used to refine the final instrument. The development process results in a reliable and valid TECS feature scale under the perspective of boutique hotel guests. It consists of 28 measurement scales that combine the services of a Thainess experience service, Thai atmosphere value, and Thai hospitality. To investigate attributes of Thainess experience-centric service (TECS) referring to the perspectives of boutique hotel guests to develop and test a scale for measuring the TECS, a new component of boutique hotel services. The quantitative approach was employed by using exploratory factor analysis (EFA). A study of 112 self-identified boutique hotel guests with a multi-stage sampling approach via an online survey by Google form during the COVID-19 pandemic. The TECS attributes under the perspectives of boutique hotel guests consisting of a 28-item measurement scale incorporating Thainess experience service, Thainess atmosphere value, and Thai hospitality. Boutique hotel guests also demonstrated their preferences towards hotel services as well as the basic demographic profiles and characteristics, which are useful for implementing hotel strategy enhancing guests’ satisfaction and exceed their expectations prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors would recommend applying the TECS to refocus its practices to creates the guest experience in the hotel business. This research contributes towards value creation by using the strategy of cultural value in creating high-quality standards and it can create a positive experience and guest’s satisfaction. Hence, the cultural value of each society can be considered for creating the guest experience.

The cost of community outreach HIV interventions: a case study in Thailand

BackgroundThere was an estimated 440,000 people living with HIV in Thailand in 2018. New cases are declining rapidly thanks to successful prevention programs and scaling up of anti-retroviral therapy (ART). Thailand aims to achieve its commitment to end the HIV epidemic by 2030 and implemented a cascade of HIV interventions through the Reach-Recruit-Test-Treat-Retain (RRTTR) program.MethodsThis study focused on community outreach HIV interventions implemented by Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) under the RRTTR program in 27 provinces. We calculated unit cost per person reached for HIV interventions targeted at key-affected populations (KAPs) including men who have sex with men/ transgender (MSM/TG), male sex workers (MSW), female sex workers (FSW), people who inject drugs (PWID) and migrants (MW). We studied program key outputs, costs, and unit costs in variations across different HIV interventions and geographic locations in Thailand. We used these estimates to determine costs of HIV interventions and evaluate economies of scale.ResultsThe interventions for migrants in Samut Sakhon was the least costly with a unit cost of 21.6 USD per person to receive services, followed by interventions for migrants in Samut Prakan 23.2 USD per person reached, MSM/TG in Pratum Thani 26.5USD per person reached, MSM/TG in Nonthaburi 26.6 USD per person reached and, MSM/TG in Chon Buri with 26.7 USD per person. The interventions yielded higher efficiency in large metropolitan and surrounding provinces. Harm reduction programs were the costliest compare with other interventions. There was association between unit cost and scale of among interventions indicating the presence of economies scale. Implementing HIV and TB interventions jointly increased efficiency for both cases.ConclusionThis study suggested that unit cost of community outreach HIV and TB interventions led by CSOs will decrease as they are scaled up. Further studies are suggested to follow up with these ongoing interventions for identifying potential contextual factors to improve efficiency of HIV prevention services in Thailand.