Abstract:
The objective of this study is to examine 1) the personal factors of consumers using Japanese restaurants; 2) the marketing mix factors of Japanese restaurants for the consumers in Lopburi Province; 3) the consumers' use of Japanese restaurant services in Lopburi Province; 4) a comparison regarding the use of Japanese restaurant service by consumers in Lopburi Province based on the personal factors; and 5) the relationship between the marketing mix factors and the use of Japanese restaurants by consumers in Lopburi Province. The sample group for this study was consumers who had used the services of Japanese restaurants in Lopburi Province, totaling 400 people. By using a questionnaire as the research tool, the statistics used for data analysis were frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test, oneway analysis of variance, and correlation coefficients.
The research results found that 1) The consumers who had used the services of Japanese restaurants in Lopburi Province were mostly female (67.25%), approximately 31 - 40 years old (40.00%), having a bachelor's degree level education (74.75%), working as employees or company employees (35.00%), having an average monthly income of 20,001 - 30,000 baht (37.50%), and being local residents of Lopburi Province (100.00%). 2) The consumers placed a high level of importance (X̅ = 4.09) on the overall marketing mix factors of Japanese restaurants in Lopburi
Province. When each aspect was considered, it could be concluded that the Japanese food aspect had the highest average value (X̅ = 4.12), followed by the personnel aspect (X̅ = 4.10) and the distribution channel aspect, which had the lowest average value (X̅ = 4.07). 3) Overall, the consumers agreed (X̅ = 3.99) on their choice of using Japanese restaurants in Lopburi Province. The aspect affecting consumers' service selection and having the highest average value in the first place was the opportunity to use the service (X̅ = 4.15), followed by the types of Japanese
(3) food (X̅ = 4.14), and the least was the period of service time (X̅ = 3.80). 4) Differences in the consumers' ages and educational levels had differing effects on the service selection of Japanese restaurants in Lopburi Province and the types of Japanese food. Aside from that, there was no statistically significant difference at the .05 level.
5) There was a statistically significant relationship between the overall marketing mix factors and the consumers' selection of Japanese restaurant services in Lopburi Province at a level of .01. The relationship was moving in the same direction at a relatively high level.