Assessing the Likelihood of Buying Thai Local Snacks.

The snack market in Thailand is growing fast, and yet it faces challenges from the growth in health-conscious consumption. Under these circumstances, it can be quite complicated for people involved in the snack-value chain to respond adequately to more sophisticated demands for snacks. Therefore, this study investigates Thai consumers' behavior with regard to snacks and its determinants. For the data used in this study, we surveyed 1077 respondents using a questionnaire. Based on a five-point scale, the questions covered respondents' snack consumption behavior and revealed their preference for additional payment regarding three aspects of snacks: safety and standards, quality, and carcinogen-free snacks. According to an ordered logistic regression, the results show that people's awareness of food safety and nutrition, and their health consciousness, increase their willingness to pay extra for better-quality snacks. Advertisements and people's recognition of input sources could also play an essential role in influencing consumers' preferences. These findings should provide insights for policymakers and producers to catch up with the new demand trend in the Thai snack market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]