Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to survey the behaviors of ethnic groups in Chiang Rai province in terms of purchasing the gold jewelry. The result of this research was indicated their purchasing habits. It was also pointed to the gold jewelry traders how to respond effectively for their clients needs. The 400 people of an unknown number of population selected by convenience sampling were used in this case. The tool used for data analyses were the questionnaires and the statistics i.e. frequency, percentage and chi-square.
According to the finding of their overall personalities, most of them were Arka tribe, male, married, 31 to 40 years. Their education background were at the elementary level. Their occupations were farmers and the monthly income is approximately less than 9,000 baht.
Furthermore, the researchs finding of the purchasing gold-jewelry behaviors revealed that the majority of respondents decided to purchase the necklaces. The features generally were loop-like pattern, clog style, rough texture, and deep golden color. In terms of golds qualities, they preferred to choose the 96.5 percentage (23K) and the weight is at 1 baht (15.2 gram). Moreover, their motivations to pay for these gold jewelry was to be a present for the acquaintances or the lovers. They also chose by themselves during the holidays or their vacations. The best location purchasing the precious items was the markets nearby. Besides, many buyers here were the irregular customers who already had some background information of the wished
objects. They, for instance, had compared the prices between the former shops and the present one before purchasing. The decision making for a customer is between 30 minutes to an hour; however, their purchasing frequency was only a time per year. Their payment method for the products was merely paid by cash. After possessed the products, they were very satisfied. Last but not least, the other factors that influence on the Chiang Rai ethic groups decisions are gold features, gold patterns, purchasing purposes, and the right time.