Abstract:
The objective of this research are as follow : 1) to study the market structure of the seven-passenger-seat cars in the Bangkok area ; 2) to analyze the factors that would affect the customers choice in purchasing the seven-passenger-seat car in order to predict its marketing direction; 3) to identify the customers perception on information that effected their decision on car purchasing in Bangkok area. The data from Department of Motor Vehicle and the Association of Car Industry in Thailand were used to determine the structure of the market using the sale margin to estimate the hub of the industry. Moreover, in order to analyze the market strategy, the questionnaires had been sent out and the researcher received 400 questionnaires completed. The data were then analyzed using T-test to identify the difference of the individual factors of private car users at the level of 0.05
The results of the study showed that as for the market structure, the car industry in Bangkok is of a half competitive and half monopolized market. As the Herfindal Index was low result is 0.248, 0263 and 0.289 in 2003, 2004 and 2005 as respectively, therefore it could be said that the car market in Bangkok is highly competitive. Even though the CR received was high which reflected the monopolized market. However, the low Herfindal Index showed that the market was more centering. More than half of the data received were female, single, private employees, and received Bachelor Degree. As for the market strategies to create the business advantage, the result showed that : 1) in term of products, safety was considered highly importance ; 2) as for the price of the products was regarded as highly importance; 3) for sale management, images and credibility of the service centers were regarded as highly importance; 4) for the marketing promotion, the installment plan without interest was regarded as highly importance; 5) as for other marketing strategies such as : the standard equipment for safety were considered highly importance.