The Development of Marine Transportation Services for Foreign Customer of Surat Thani Ferry Carrier Service

Abstract

This research aimed to 1) study the quality of service; 2) compare service quality levels; and 3) guidelines for improving the quality of marine transportation services for foreigners of ferries Surat Thani Province. It is a quantitative and qualitative research. The quantitative sample consisted of 400 foreigners who were ferry users, communicate in English and Chinese as the primary languages by using questionnaires to collect data. A qualitative sample of 4 people by interview. The statistics used in the data analysis were percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test statistics, One-way ANOVA, and tested for differences in pairs using the LSD method.   

The results of the research found that the quality of sea transportation services to foreigners of ferries in an overall and each aspect were at the highest level. The results of comparison of the quality of sea transportation services to foreigners of ferries Classified by personal factors, language, communication, educational level, services used, found that the overall comparison results were different. Guidelines for improving the quality of marine transportation services for ferries include improving the physical appearance of the port to manage the utilization of port areas and safety standards.  Human resource management of ferry operators must meet the control conditions and properties of each position. The importance of safety management measures in the transportation service process. Changing the way of booking a fleet and booking tickets by using the call center system to link the service route, implementing the policy to provide confidence to the patient customer group. Cooperation between the Marine Department and the ferry company to set guidelines for improving service quality and safety.