The Influence of Perceived Behavioral Control and Desire to Travel on Domestic Travel Intention to Bangkok: A Moderated Mediation Model of Tourists' Attitudes and Preferences

This study's objective was to investigate how desire to travel, and perceived behavioral control, affected domestic travel intentions for travel to Bangkok at the time of the COVID-19 epidemic. The study suggests that attitudes and preferences can be considered as moderators for both the association between perceived behavioral control and intentions to travel domestically, as well as the association between perceived behavioral control and desire to travel. It also suggests that attitudes and preferences can moderate the strength of the mediated relationship. The sample used in this study was collected from June 2022, after Thailand began to relax the most recent COVID-19 health regulations. A total of 400 responses were collected and utilized in the study. For testing H1 on the effects of mediation, the data were analyzed using moderated multiple regression via Hayes' Process Macro v4.2 with SPSS, while H2 and H3 were examined using moderated hierarchical regression analysis. H4 was then examined using the moderated mediation model. The results suggest that the magnitude of the mediated association between perceived behavioral control and domestic travel intentions for Thai domestic tourism was moderated by tourists' attitudes and preferences. The conditional indirect effect of perceived behavioral control and the desire to travel on the intention to travel domestically was strong when attitudes and preferences were valued highly.

Ten Years After Oak Creek: Federal Policy Recommendations to Protect Communities Targeted by Hate

2022 was a year marked with significant anniversaries of hate against the AAPI community both historic and recent, from the 40th anniversary of the hate-driven murder of Chinese American immigrant Vincent Chin to the one-year anniversary of recent mass shootings in Atlanta and Indianapolis. These commemorations, moreover, came amidst a series of hate crimes targeting Sikh men in Richmond Hill, Queens, and a years-long spike in violence against Asian Americans - particularly Asian American women - ignited by the COVID-19 pandemic. One anniversary in 2022, however, is both important on its own right as a marker in the history of targeted violence and useful for contextualizing recent trends of hate in the US: the 10-year remembrance of the shooting at a gurdwara, a Sikh house of worship, in Oak Creek WI.

Modification of the Aeration-Supplied Configuration in the Biodrying Process for Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) Production

Biodrying is an essential part of the mechanical–biological treatment process that minimizes moisture content and simultaneously maximizes heating value for refuse-derived fuel (RDF) production. Although the mechanical separation process operates effectively in Thailand's RDF production, high organic content levels and their degradation cause moisture contamination in RDF, producing wet RDF. Aeration is essential for an effective biodrying process, and can reduce RDF's moisture content as well as increase its heating value. To maximize the biodrying effect, aeration should be optimized based on the waste conditions. This study proposes a modified aeration-supplied configuration for wet RDF biodrying. The aeration rate was modified based on the period within the biodrying operation;the first period is from the beginning until day 2.5, and the second period is from day 2.5 to day 5. The optimal aeration supply configuration was 0.5 m3/kg/day in the first period and then 0.3 m3/kg/day until the end of the process;this configuration yielded the greatest moisture content decrease of 35% and increased the low heating value of the biodried product by 11%. The final moisture content and low heating value were 24.07% and 4787 kcal/kg, respectively. Therefore, this optimal aeration-supplied configuration could be applied to meet the moisture content and low heating value requirements of the RDF production standard for Thailand's local cement industry.

42nd International Symposium on Intensive Care & Emergency Medicine

Michael's Hospital, Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care Medicine, Toronto, Canada Critical Care 2023, 27(S1): P001 Introduction: In the context of a pandemic with a massive influx of hypoxemic patients, the high oxygen consumption usually required to achieve optimal inspired fraction of oxygen (FiO2) with non-invasive respiratory supports may jeopardize healthcare organization and oxygen delivery capabilities in hospitals. P003 Effect of non-invasive respiratory support on interstitial lung disease with acute respiratory failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis N Sanguanwong1, N Jantarangsi2, J Ngeyvijit3, N Owattanapanich4, V Phoophiboon5 1Chulalongkorn University, Department of Physiology, Bangkok, Thailand, 2Buddhachinaraj hospital, Department of Internal Medicine, Phitsanulok, Thailand, 3Chulalongkorn University, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Bangkok, Thailand, 4Mahidol University, Division of Trauma Surgery, Bangkok, Thailand, 5Chulalongkorn University, Critical Care Medicine, Bangkok, Thailand Critical Care 2023, 27(S1): P003 Introduction: The data of non-invasive respiratory support (non-invasive positive pressure ventilation;NIPPV and high flow nasal cannula;HFNC) in interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) with acute respiratory failure (ARF) are scarce [1, 2]. A random effects model was used to estimate the PF ratio, PaCO2, mortality, intubation rate and hospital length of stay. Methods: The data of 215 adult patients, who were admitted to ICU of a university hospital between April 2020 and October 2021, with severe COVID pneumonia and received HFOT were enrolled retrospectively in our study.

Managerial Response to Hotel Guests' Review in Bangkok

The service industry is hard to measure due to its characteristics which are perishability, intangibility, inseparability and variability so the service industry like the tourism industry highly relies on the guests' WOM. This research is aiming to help hotel managers in Bangkok investigate what makes a good response. Since the research is limited to the hotel industry in Bangkok. It is a remarkable way to conduct interviews with managers and tourists to gather data with a qualitative approach. The researcher conducted in-depth interviews with three managers and three tourists to collect data. Due to Covid-19 pandemic regulation, numbers of interviewees are limited;also, some interviews were conducted online by Zoom and Microsoft team. The researcher analyzed data by the classic content analysis technique. The key findings of the research are: first, the speedy managerial response has a positive impact on guests' opinion;next, response numbers have a positive effect on guests' WOM;then the manager should concentrate on both positive and negative responses;finally, relevant managerial response affects guest' points of view. Based on researcher's findings, managers should be empathy when response to guests' reviews. Putting them in the guests' shoes will make it easier to understand what problem guests have faced.

Determinants Affecting Willingness Of Office Workers To Use Coffee Houses Services In Bangkok During Covid-19 Outbreak

The purpose of this study is to investigate the determinants influencing the willingness of office workers to use coffee houses services in Silom and Sathorn areas in Bangkok during the COVID-19 outbreak. The conceptual framework presented comprises variety seeking, desire for unique products, cosmopolitanism, personal innovativeness, product evaluation, behavioral intention impact willingness to use coffee house services. The sample (n = 490) was gathered from online questionnaires using convenience and snowball sampling techniques. The study employed the Structural Equation Model (SEM) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) for the data analysis to confirm reliability, validity, goodness-of-fit of the model, and hypotheses. The findings revealed that variety seeking and personal innovativeness significantly impacted product evaluation and behavioral intention. In contrast, the desire for unique products and cosmopolitanism had no impact on product evaluation and behavioral intention. In addition, both product evaluation and behavioral intention also had a significant impact on the willingness to use coffee house services. Therefore, for practical implications, business owners and entrepreneurs could enhance product varieties to attract more customers for better sales revenue generation.

TOURIST BEHAVIOR AND MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS DURING COVID-19 OUTBREAK IN THAILAND

Since COVID-19 has been spread out in December 2019, it has impacted the world's economy significantly. As of other countries, there are several businesses in Thailand were directly affected by the outbreak of COVID-19 especially in tourism industry which is one of the major revenues in previous years. The new ways to live with COVID-19 such as social distancing, hand washing, or mask wearing have been promoted by the government ever since. Moreover, a few campaigns have been launched to support people in this difficult time including "We Travel Together " which is mainly focused on tourism. However, some questions also arise whether this campaign is sufficed for boosting the tourism industry, what are the tourist behavior, opinion, and motivation factors during this time because no one knows how long the situation will resume to normal and when COVID-19 will be last. The findings show that during COVID-19 situation, respondents mostly travelled to Central region of Thailand with rate of frequency of 1-4 times, the majority of respondents chose sightseeing (63.7%) over other types of tourism, and respondents mostly were motivated by Relax/Escape (Mean = 4.12) which is one of the 13 motivational factors from Travel Career Pattern model (Pearce & Lee, 2005). This refers to tourism during COVID-19 situation is still needed as long as tourism is available and the motivation can be met.

Conferences

First he examined the interactions between the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and current economic and social transformations. In light of the session in his honour, Dr George Harlow (American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA) chronicled the history of his career, in which he built collections, organised exhibitions and performed geological fieldwork around the world while researching jade, ruby, etc. Pamir rubies formed at unusually low pressures (minimum of 1–1.2 kbar) and a temperature of approximately 760°C. Wim Vertriest (Gemological Institute of America [GIA], Bangkok, Thailand) and co-authors reviewed the identification of low-temperature heat treatment of gem corundum (i.e. up to about 1200°C, which starts causing damage to rutile ‘silk’ inclusions). In another presentation, Dr Dutrow and co-authors investigated the origin determination of Cu-bearing tourmaline using statistical analyses of LIBS and electron microprobe data.

Location Selection of Charging Stations for Electric Taxis: A Bangkok Case

The transition from ICE to BEV taxis is one of the most important methods for reducing fossil fuel consumption and air pollution in cities such as Bangkok. To support this transition, an adequate number of charging stations to cover each area of charging demand must be established. This paper presents a data-driven process for determining suitable charging locations for BEV taxis based on their characteristic driving patterns. The location selection process employs GPS trajectory data collected from taxis and the locations of candidate sites. Suitable locations are determined based on estimated travel times and charging demands. A queueing model is used to simulate charging activities and identify an appropriate number of chargers at each station. The location selection results are validated using data from existing charging services. The validation results show that the proposed process can recommend better locations for charging stations than current practices. By using the traveling time data that take the current traffic condition into account, e.g., via Google Maps API, we can minimize the overall travel time to charging stations of the taxi fleet better than using the distance data. This process can also be applied to other cities.

Evidence of Genetic Connectivity among Lyle’s Flying Fox Populations in Thailand for Wildlife Management and One Health Framework

Bats are important reservoir hosts of emerging viruses. Recent viral outbreaks and pandemics have resulted in an increased research focus on the genetic diversity, population structure, and distribution of bat species. Lyle’s flying fox (Pteropus lylei) is widely distributed throughout central Thailand, with most colonies congregating in temples within proximity to humans. A lack of knowledge regarding the genetic connectivity among different colonies hinders the investigation of zoonotic disease epidemiology and wildlife management. In this study, we hypothesized that genetic material may be exchanged between Lyle’s flying fox colonies that live in proximity. We assessed the mitochondrial displacement loop and cytochrome b nucleotide sequences of samples collected from 94 individuals from ten colonies across different roosting sites and detected limited genetic differentiation but increased nucleotide divergence within colonies. This suggests that genetic connectivity among Lyle’s flying fox colonies has experienced frequent and recent gene flow. These findings indicate that this species has maintained demographic equilibrium in a stable population, with a slight expansion event in certain populations. These data provide insights into the dynamics of bat populations, and the genetic knowledge gained presents opportunities for the improved monitoring of bat population structure.

Roadmap for Future Mobility Development Supporting Bangkok Urban Living in 2030

This study demonstrates how to develop a roadmap guiding a company’s technology and innovation for future mobility by integrating the results from foresight and scenario analysis. The key drivers and trends influencing the urban development of Bangkok in the next 10 years were determined through the environmental scanning approach. The participatory approach was then applied to get stakeholders involved to enrich scenario thinking. The participants were invited from many social networks involved in city development in Bangkok. The scenario development was framed according to livability and city infrastructure development. As mobility is always the key issue for big cities, future development for mobility can be addressed in terms of different aspects such as filling stations, clean fuel, public transportation, shared mobility platforms, or last-mile traveling. A roadmap to guide future development of shared mobility was developed based on the analysis of the particular company in the case study.

An Application of Artificial Neural Network to Evaluate the Influence of Weather Conditions on the Variation of PM2.5-Bound Carbonaceous Compositions and Water-Soluble Ionic Species

Previous studies have determined biomass burning as a major source of air pollutants in the ambient air in Thailand. To analyse the impacts of meteorological parameters on the variation of carbonaceous aerosols and water-soluble ionic species (WSIS), numerous statistical models, including a source apportionment analysis with the assistance of principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), and artificial neural networks (ANNs), were employed in this study. A total of 191 sets of PM2.5 samples were collected from the three monitoring stations in Chiang-Mai, Bangkok, and Phuket from July 2020 to June 2021. Hotspot numbers and other meteorological parameters were obtained using NOAA-20 weather satellites coupled with the Global Land Data Assimilation System. Although PCA revealed that crop residue burning and wildfires are the two main sources of PM2.5, ANNs highlighted the importance of wet deposition as the main depletion mechanism of particulate WSIS and carbonaceous aerosols. Additionally, Mg2+ and Ca2+ were deeply connected with albedo, plausibly owing to their strong hygroscopicity as the CCNs responsible for cloud formation.

The US-Thai Alliance and Asian International Relations: History, Memory and Current Developments

Hiebert reviews The US-Thai Alliance and Asian International Relations: History, Memory and Current Developments by Gregory Raymond and John Blaxland.

Predicting Poverty Using Geospatial Data in Thailand

Poverty statistics are conventionally compiled using data from socioeconomic surveys. This study examines an alternative approach to estimating poverty by investigating whether readily available geospatial data can accurately predict the spatial distribution of poverty in Thailand. In particular, the geospatial data examined in this study include the intensity of night-time light (NTL), land cover, vegetation index, land surface temperature, built-up areas, and points of interest. The study also compares the predictive performance of various econometric and machine-learning methods such as generalized least squares, neural network, random forest, and support-vector regression. Results suggest that the intensity of NTL and other variables that approximate population density are highly associated with the proportion of an area’s population that are living in poverty. The random forest technique yielded the highest level of prediction accuracy among the methods considered in this study, primarily due to its capability to fit complex association structures even with small-to-medium-sized datasets. This obtained result suggests the potential applications of using publicly accessible geospatial data and machine-learning methods for timely monitoring of the poverty distribution. Moving forward, additional studies are needed to improve the predictive power and investigate the temporal stability of the relationships observed.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to the COVID-19 pandemic among pregnant women in Bangkok, Thailand

Background Pregnancy is associated with increased risk for severe COVID-19. Few studies have examined knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to pregnancy during the pandemic. This study investigated the association between socio-demographic characteristics and KAP related to COVID-19 among pregnant women in an urban community in Thailand. Methods A cross-sectional online survey was distributed among pregnant women in Bangkok, Thailand from July–August 2021. Binary logistic regression was conducted to test the association between socio-demographic characteristics and KAP related to COVID-19, and a Spearman’s analysis tested correlations between KAP scores. Results A total of 150 pregnancy survey responses were received. Most participants were third trimester (27–40 weeks gestation;68.0%). Pregnancy had never been risked contracting COVID-19 (84.7%). Most expressed concerns about being infected with COVID-19 during pregnancy and following birth (94.0 and 70.0%, respectively). The results of binary logistic regression analysis found associations between knowledge and marital status (OR = 4.983, 95%CI 1.894–13.107). In addition, having a bachelor’s degree or higher was associated with higher attitude scores (OR = 2.733, 95%CI 1.045–7.149), as was being aged 26–30 (OR = 2.413 95%CI 0.882–6.602) and 31–35 years of age (OR = 2.518–2.664, 95%CI 0.841–8.442). Higher practice scores were associated with having a bachelor’s degree or higher (OR = 2.285 95%CI 1.110–6.146), and income ≥15,001 bath (OR = 4.747 95%CI 1.588–14.192). Correlation analysis found a weak positive correlation between knowledge and practice scores (r = 0.210, p-value = 0.01). Conclusion Participants overall had high KAP scores. This study can guide public health strategies regarding pregnant women and COVID-19. We recommend that interventions to improve and attitude and practice scores. Knowledge on pregnancy and COVID-19 should focus on reducing fear and improving attitudes toward the care of patients as well as the promotion of preventive practices.

Hepatitis C prevalence among men who have sex with men attending a gay bathhouse

Background and AimRelated research has found that men who visit public sex environments such as a gay bathhouse engage in unprotected anal intercourse and tend to have multiple sexual partners during their visit. We aimed to assess the risk of hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission among men attending a gay bathhouse.MethodsA prospective study of the prevalence of HCV among men attending a gay bathhouse was conducted in Bangkok, Thailand, from October 2019 to March 2020. HCV risks and risk perceptions were evaluated using a self‐administered questionnaire. HCV testing with result notification was provided on site.ResultsOf the 40 participants (median age 30 years), one subject (2.5%) was positive for HCV antibody. Bathhouse patrons reported engaging in high‐risk sexual behavior, including sexually transmitted infection history and Chemsex experience. The subject tested positive for HCV antibody reported a frequency of attending gay bathhouse of around 2–4 times monthly and had multiple partners while attending a gay bathhouse. Only 15% of subjects realized that hepatitis C can be transmitted through sexual intercourse.ConclusionOur findings support HCV transmission‐reducing guidelines recommending providing selective HCV testing among men who have sex with men (MSM). Bathhouse patrons reported low literacy levels on HCV transmission. Nevertheless, HCV screening should cover a population exhibiting high‐risk sexual behaviors such as attending a gay bathhouse.

Studying Waste Separation Behaviors and Environmental Impacts toward Sustainable Solid Waste Management: A Case Study of Bang Chalong Housing, Samut Prakan, Thailand

This study aims to develop more inclusive and sustainable waste management practices to be implemented in Bang Chalong Housing, a model community with unsatisfactory waste separation and recycling rate. The extended theory of planned behavior was employed to investigate the effect of attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, knowledge, and situational factors on household waste separation intention and behavior, using structural equation modeling as a tool. Based on the questionnaire responses of 321 residents, the house owner’s status exhibited a considerable impact on waste-sorting behavior. Knowledge (β = 0.653;p < 0.001) and subjective norm (β = 0.160;p < 0.05) were two significant predictors of the respondents’ intention, which showed a strong influence on household waste separation behavior (β = 0.804;p < 0.001). Various waste management scenarios were also evaluated through material flow analysis and life cycle assessment. Installing a waste-sorting plant in addition to the current approach (recycling and landfilling) could annually reduce 26.4 tons of solid waste from being landfilled and mitigate GHG emissions by up to 47.4 tons CO2 equivalent. Finally, the implications of these results on designing interventions and amending waste management schemes were discussed.

The influence of perceived risks on millennials' intention to use m-payment for mobile shopping in Bangkok

Purpose>Booming mobile shopping has resulted in an increase use of m-payment. Although m-payment is still in its infancy in Thailand, it has started to affect the daily lives of Thai people. This study aims to understand the role of perceive risks in influencing millennials' intention to use m-payment for mobile shopping.Design/methodology/approach>The sample covers 250 millennials in Bangkok who were surveyed between February to May 2019. Purposive sampling and convenient sampling were applied to collect data. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was applied for statistical analysis. Further, mediation effect of attitude was studied.Findings>The results showed that only perceived time risk significantly but negatively affect millennials' attitude towards using m-payment. Moreover, mediation test confirms that the relationship between perceived time risk and intention to use m-payment is mediated by attitude.Research limitations/implications>First, limited number of respondents cannot be a representative of millennials as a whole. Second, the study is limited to a general study, in which the results of m-payment might not be effectual to explain other scenarios (e.g. offline setting) and the market situation in another cultural context.Practical implications>It is important that business practitioners should formulate less complicated system under the most decent transaction time to elicit positive attitude towards m-payment. Also, message should emphasize on the time being saved and simplicity of the m-payment.Originality/value>Since the study of how perceived risks influence millennials intention to m-payment remains insufficient in Southeast Asian context especially in Thailand, this paper contributes to the updating of empirical findings to the existing literatures.

Using Combined Bus Rapid Transit and Buses in a Dedicated Bus Lane to Enhance Urban Transportation Sustainability

Combined bus rapid transit and buses in a dedicated bus lane (CBBD) is a measure that bus rapid transit (BRT) operators implement to reduce overlapping routes between BRT and fixed-route buses. The CBBD measure can combine the passengers of both systems on the same route, which helps increase passenger demand for the BRT, and reduce fuel consumption and emissions from utilizing the exclusive lanes for the combined route. However, the CBBD could affect some bus and BRT passengers in terms of either losing or gaining travel time-saving benefits depending on their travel pattern. This research proposed a methodology to determine the travel distance initiating disadvantage for BRT passengers (DDB) to justify the potential success of the CBBD operations. The number of passengers gaining a benefit from the CBBD was sensitive to the distance between the CBBD stops and the operational period of the CBBD. The CBBD reform would be beneficial to transit agencies to improve the travel time of passengers and be able to promote environmental sustainability for the public transportation system in urban cities.

A Discussion on University Students’ Online Shopping Behaviors Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

With the convenience of the internet, consumers can easily purchase various goods, such as clothing, cosmetics, and general appliances, through various online channels (such as websites, shopping APPs, Facebook Shop, and Line Shopping). In addition, the payment methods are diverse, and consumers can choose online payment, cash on delivery, etc. to pay their shopping bills. This study aims to explore the shopping behaviors of students from Thailand Bangkok University amid the COVID-19 pandemic, examine the effect of COVID-19 on online shopping, and determine how to improve online stores, in order to meet customers’ needs and satisfaction. This study took 395 students from Thailand Bangkok University as the samples, adopted Smart PLS 3.0 to perform path analysis testing of the research model and used Bootstrap to verify the independent samples t-test. The results of this study are expected to be a reference for the operations of online shopping, as well as for researchers in future relevant studies.