Journal of International Studies, Prince of Songkla University

Consumer Satisfaction with the Marketing Mix of the Chinese Beverage Brand MIXUE: A Case Study of Consumers in Mueang District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province

Manaporn Banpurng — 2025-12-24

This research aims to examine 1. consumer behavior regarding the purchase of the Chinese beverage brand MIXUE among consumers in the city district of Nakhon Si Thammarat, and 2. consumer satisfaction with the marketing mix of MIXUE beverage products. The study employs the 4P marketing mix framework, focusing on consumer behaviour and the factors shaping purchasing decisions. The sample comprised 150 MIXUE consumers from the Central Plaza Nakhon Si Thammarat and Saha Thai Plaza branches. Data were collected through questionnaires and an interview with the sales manager. The findings revealed that most respondents (87%) had prior experience consuming MIXUE beverages, with most spending an average of 31–50 baht per visit (56%) and consuming the products 1–2 times per week (75%). Regular sweetness was preferred by 69% of respondents. An analysis of the 4P marketing mix factors revealed that the price factor achieved the highest satisfaction, attributed to its affordability and value for money. Additionally, product variety and effective promotional strategies have significantly contributed to the brand’s popularity. However, refining market segmentation and tailoring product development to meet the preferences of teenage, high school, and university student consumer groups could enhance growth potential and market share in the future. According to the sales manager, the brand's key competitive advantage lies in offering high-quality products at a lower price compared to competitors.

The Relationship Between Work Motivation and Organizational Commitment of Teachers in the Office of the Private Education Commission (OPEC) Service Area Office Bangkok 16

Nittaya Daneesaman — 2025-12-24

This research aimed to 1) examine teachers' motivation to work under the Office of the Private Education Commission in Bangkok Service Area, Office 16, 2) study teachers' organisational commitment under this commission, and 3) investigate the relationship between work motivation and teachers' organisational commitment among those working under this commission. The sample consisted of 370 teachers working at schools under the supervision of the Office of the Private Education Commission in Bangkok Service Area Office 16 during the 2023 academic year. The research instrument used was a questionnaire, and the statistical methods used included percentage, mean, standard deviation, and Pearson’s Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient. The research findings showed that the overall work motivation of teachers under the Office of the Private Education Commission in this service area was rated at a high level, and the overall organisational commitment of teachers under this office was rated at a high level. Further, a high positive correlation was found between work motivation and organisational commitment among teachers working under the Office of the Private Education Commission in Bangkok Service Area Office 16 with statistical significance at the .01 level. The findings of this study can be applied to organisational management in enhancing work motivation and fostering organisational commitment, thereby improving overall efficiency and effectiveness.

Influence of Customer Relationship Management and Service Quality Affecting Loyalty: A Case Study of Cosmetics Shops with Membership Cards in The Modern Trade Department Store in Surat Thani Province

Chananda Bamrung — 2025-12-24

This research aimed to study customer relationship management, service quality, and loyalty, and to study the influence of customer relationship management and service quality on loyalty of cosmetic stores with membership cards in modern trade department stores in Surat Thani province. Data was collected using questionnaires from a sample of 385 people. The statistics used for data analysis were frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and multiple regression analysis. The research results found that 1) the overall level of customer relationship management was at a high level. 2) The overall level of service quality is at the highest level. 3) The overall level of loyalty is at the highest level, and 4) Customer relationship management, including customer tracking (Beta = 0.522) and understanding customer expectations (Beta = 0.305), and service quality, including empathy (Beta = 0.319), reliability (Beta = 0.317), responsiveness (Beta = 0.282), assurance (Beta = 0.219), and tangibility (Beta = 0.153) have a statistically significant effect on loyalty at the 0.05 level. The results of this study can be used to help increase operational efficiency and plan effective marketing strategies, which will lead to long-term relationships and create competitive advantages for cosmetic shops.

A Study of Problems and Guidelines for Professional Teaching Practices in Korean Language: Korean Studies Major, Faculty of International Studies, Prince of Songkla University, Phuket Campus

Netima Burapasiriwat — 2025-12-24

This article aims to 1) analyze the problems that arose during the professional teaching practice process, and 2) propose ways to improve the professional teaching practice process for student teachers majoring in Korean Studies at the Faculty of International Studies, Prince of Songkla University. This qualitative research was conducted through interviews and reflections of six student teachers during their teaching practice in the course 815-633 Teaching Korean as a Foreign Language. The research findings identified two main issues. The first issue concerned student readiness, including stress and pressure, time management difficulties, problem-solving in the classroom, and a lack of academic knowledge. The institutional readiness problem included resource limitations and challenges regarding mentor instructors. Based on these findings, the study proposes several solutions. Teaching practice sessions should be conducted before actual teaching. Moreover, experienced instructors should provide sufficient feedback after practice sessions so that students can use the feedback to improve their weaknesses before starting real teaching, helping to build their confidence. To reduce pressure, students should be given appropriate preparation time before teaching. Additionally, institutions should allocate a budget to support students in producing teaching materials or conducting active learning activities

A Study of Conceptual Metaphors of Humans in Chinese Idiomatic Expressions

Benyatip Suphakalin — 2025-12-24

This research article aims to identify human metaphors found in Chinese idiomatic expressions (惯用语) and analyze the relationship between metaphors and human concepts in Chinese idiomatic expressions. The Chinese idiomatic expressions were selected from the “A Frequency Dictionary of Chinese Idiomatic Expressions”《常用惯用语词典》. The relationship between metaphors and human concepts in these idiomatic expressions is analyzed through conceptual mapping according to the framework of Lakoff and Johnson. The results of the study found that the conceptual metaphors related to humans originate from metaphors of living things and metaphors of non-living things. The most prevalent metaphor among living things is [humans are animals], which involves transferring meanings from the behaviors, characteristics, physical features, and body parts positions of animals to refer to types of people, people's gestures, and people's behaviors and personalities. Among non-living things, the most prevalent metaphor is [humans are objects], which involves transferring meanings from characteristics and physical features to refer to people's behaviors and personalities, types of people, and their outward appearances. The transfer of meaning from the source domain to the target domain of living and non-living metaphors is largely consistent, though there are slight differences due to the fundamental characteristics of those entities. The findings of this study help to understand the perspective in Chinese society that conveys ideas about people through the use of metaphors in Chinese idiomatic expressions.

The Development of Smart Cities in Smart Governance: A Comparative Case Study of Shanghai, China, and Phuket and Khon Kaen Provinces, Thailand

Banthita Pathravishkul — 2025-12-24

This article aims to: 1) compare the smart city development models in smart governance between Shanghai, China, and Phuket and Khon Kaen, Thailand, and 2) extract lessons from Shanghai case study to propose guidelines for designing a smart city development plan in smart governance plan that aligns with Thailand’s context. The research methodology involved documentary research, government statistics, and interviews with officials from the Digital Economy Promotion Agency. The findings revealed that Shanghai’s success in smart city development stems from clear policies and goals, strong digital infrastructure investments such as cloud computing, big data, Internet of Things, and blockchain, and an integrated governance system involving government, private sector, and citizens. In contrast, Thailand has incorporated smart city initiatives into its 20-Year National Strategy (2018–2037) and has begun pilot projects in multiple provinces, including Phuket and Khon Kaen. However, progress remains in the early stages, with challenges in data interoperability and integrated management.

A comparative analysis shows that Thailand has significant potential for smart city development, particularly in data-driven decision-making and multi-stakeholder collaboration. The researchers propose guidelines for Thailand’s smart governance development, including: investing in digital infrastructure, developing a centralized e-government service platform, enhancing integrated data management, and upskilling local digital workforce. These strategies aim to ensure sustainable and efficient smart city development, tailored to Thailand’s regional contexts.

A Comparative Analysis of the Malayan Communist Party’s Role in Rural and Urban Areas during the Malayan Emergency (1948–1960)

Luca Gunetti — 2025-12-24

This study analyzes the strategic operations of the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) in rural and urban areas during the Malayan Emergency (1948–1960), with a focus on the strategic relationship between the two spheres and the impact of British counterinsurgency measures. While previous research has primarily emphasized jungle-based guerrilla warfare, this study highlights the critical role of urban intelligence networks, propaganda, and labor mobilization in sustaining the insurgency. Using a historical-analytical approach, the study draws upon British colonial records, MCP documents, and secondary sources to assess the connections between rural and urban operations. Findings indicate that urban support networks were essential to the MCP’s guerrilla activities in rural areas. Meanwhile, British counterinsurgency measures including (1) the Briggs Plan, (2) intelligence operations by the Special Branch (SB), and (3) psychological warfare and the “hearts and minds” campaign systematically dismantled these support structures. This study contributes to the understanding of the strategic contributions of urban resources to revolutionary warfare and offers a historical-comparative framework for analyzing insurgency strategies in other contexts.

The Intersection of Decolonization and Linguistic Diversity in a Malaysian Chinese novel: Monkey Cup

Yue Zhao — 2025-12-24

This paper explores the decolonization strategies in Zhang Guixing’s Monkey Cup through multilingual literary practices. Using Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s theory of linguistic decolonization, the study analyzes how the novel employs English, Chinese, and Dayak to reshape postcolonial cultural identity. Rather than absolutely rejecting colonial languages, the novel reconfigures power relations by marginalizing English marked by characters’ resistance and elevating Chinese and Dayak. Chinese anchors cultural memory and adapts to the Malaysian context, while Dayak becomes a poetic and critical force countering colonial stereotypes. The interplay of these languages forms a rooted cosmopolitanism that bridges tradition and modernity. Ultimately, the novel illustrates how linguistic pluralism can challenge colonial hierarchies and offer inclusive postcolonial alternatives beyond nationalism or globalization.

A Discourse Analysis of Reports on COVID-19 Epidemic in People’s Daily (2020-2023)

Wang Fang — 2025-12-24

This paper extracted news reports on COVID-19 epidemic from People's Daily and built a corpus of more than 160,000 words and used the corpus retrieval tool Antconc (4.0.4). Critical discourse analysis is based on Fairclough's three-dimensional discourse analysis framework. The results showed that People's Daily focused on the COVID-19 outbreak itself, the COVID-19 response, the COVID-19 location, the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, the COVID-19 population, the time of the COVID-19 outbreak, and the country's leaders. It has adopted three discourse strategies, namely self-narration and narration by others, intertextuality of genres and styles, and the use of rhetorical devices such as metaphors and parallelism to describe the efforts made by the Chinese government and people in the COVID-19 response station.

Cultural Capital and Cultural Adaptation of the Lao-Wiang Ethnic Group in Ban Khong, Photaram District, Ratchaburi Province: A Case Study of the Boon Khao Jee to Boon Khao Lam

Nareema Sangwiman — 2025-12-24

This article aims to investigate the patterns of cultural capital and cultural adaptation within the Lao-Wiang ethnic community in Ban Khong Subdistrict, Photharam District, Ratchaburi Province. A documentary investigation indicated that the Lao-Wiang group in this region has significantly preserved its language, culture, and religious traditions. Local temples function as crucial centers for cultural transmission. Essential rites, including Boon Khao Jee and Boon Khao Lam, are fundamental to this process, sustaining the continuity of traditional customs throughout generations. The family unit is essential for imparting cultural traditions to the younger generation. Moreover, cultivating awareness and cohesive collaboration among local organizations, educational institutions, and governmental agencies is crucial for the promotion and dissemination of Lao-Wiang customs. This cooperation aims to elevate community understanding regarding cultural preservation, offer employment possibilities, and produce income. It also encourages the younger generation in acknowledging the significance of examining the community's intellectual and cultural resources to ensure the ongoing sustainability of cultural capital management.