Abstract:
The purpose of this research was to study factors relating to a selection of credit services from financial institutes by small and medium industrial operations in Surat Thani Province. The data was collected through a questionnaire completed by 268 operators. The primary data was analyzed through basic statistics, i.e. percentage, mean and standard deviation while Chi-square was used to test the correlation between business characteristics together with marketing mix and choices of credit services.
Most operators were single ownership, have been in business for 5 to 10 years with investment over 5 million Baht; and less than 10 employees. Their operating annual income was more than 5 million Baht. The business owner was authorized in seeking a loan. As for the service marketing mix factor, it was found that operators selected credit services by focusing on various aspects of product, pricing, distribution channel, working process, producing outcome and quality, material evidence, and personnel at a high level while marketing promotion was focused at a moderate level.
The study further revealed that most operators contacted financial institutes by themselves for a credit of over 5 million Baht. They preferred credit services from Siam Commercial Bank. They also preferred the long term credit. Their reason to seek credits from an institution was because of the amount of approved credit and the payback conditions. When asked for the frequency of requesting the credit services, most applied only once in three years for working capital. The operators who did not utilize the credit service informed that they had their own financial sources.
Moreover, the findings also disclosed that a business establishment, an industrial type, a size of an investing amount, business revenue, a product and the pricing factor correlated with the choice of the credit service utilization from a financial institutes at a significance level of 0.05. In choosing a credit service, it was found that operators paid most attention to interest rates and service fees.
WALAILAK UNIVERSITY. CENTER FOR LIBRARY RESOURCES AND EDUCATIONAL MEDIA