Abstract:
The purposes of this study were to examine saving behaviors among the members of
the Marine Corps Savings and Credit Cooperative Limited and to determine the relationship
between personal factors and saving behaviors of these members. The subjects participating in
this study were 400 members with an ordinary type of membership of the Marine Corps Savings
and Credit Cooperative Limited, who were recruited by a stratified random sampling
technique. The instrument used to collect the data was a questionnaire. The statistical tests used
to analyze the collected data included frequency, percentage, and a test of Chi-Square.
The results of the study were as follows:
1) The majority of the respondents were 20-29 years old, being married (59.50%),
earning a high school or a lower vocational certificate (64.50%), and holding a position rank of a
Petty Officer Third Class to First Class with a work length more than 21 years onwards. Their
amount of monthly income was 10,000-15,000 baht with a monthly household expense of 5,000-
10,000 baht (31.75%). Most of them had some dependents (72.50 %).
2) Regarding the subjects saving behaviors, they save 5,000-10,000 baht on a
monthly basis for their cooperative share ( 45.00%). In addition to saving with the cooperative,
these members had plans for other types of savings. The main purposes of their savings (answers
could be more than 1) included saving for emergency (76.75%), followed by saving for the
expenses of their own education or for their children (44.25%). Regarding saving patterns
(answers could be more than1), saving with Government Saving Fund was a preferred saving
pattern among these subjects (51.00%), followed by saving with commercial banks (46.00%).
In addition, saving in a form of permanent asset (not in form of loans) was found.
In particular, purchasing accommodation and different types of housing was a preferred saving
pattern among these subjects, followed by purchasing equipment or machines for doing additional work to earn extra income (19.50%). The subjects main reason to save with the Cooperative was
because they wanted to facilitate its revolving fund continuously (52.00%).
3) Based on the tests of hypotheses, there was a significant relationship between the
amount of income, family members, and saving behaviors among the members of the Marine
Corps Savings and Credit Cooperative Limited, especially in terms of main saving purposes,
saving patterns, and saving amount at a significant level of .05. Finally, no significant
relationship was found between the subjects status and their saving behaviors in relation to main
saving purposes, saving patterns, and saving amount.