The Digital Divide and E-commerce in Thailand
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Abstract
Digital technology has played an essential role in our daily lives. However, disparities in the use of digital technology still exist in Thailand. This research aimed to: 1) study demographic factors that affect the use of digital devices; 2) study demographic characteristics that affect the use of electronic commerce; 3) study the use of digital devices that affect electronic commerce. The sample group was 113,238 persons, including Thai people aged 18 years and over. Statistics used in the research consisted of descriptive statistics, Multiple correspondence analysis, and inferential statistics. The results found that demographic factors influence the digital divide and e-commerce at a statistically significant level of 0.001. Demographic factors impact the digital divide through access to digital devices. The research also found that women, students, the young generation, and well-educated people have higher rates of e-commerce usage than other groups. In addition, accessibility to digital devices also affects e-commerce in Thailand at a statistically significant level of 0.001. The results found that Thai people use mobile phones for e-commerce. This research confirms that if digital inequality persists, it affects e-commerce usage. All online activities will end when a person cannot access a digital device. Therefore, governments need to drive to reduce digital inequality. On the other hand, the private sector should focus on the design and development of an e-commerce platform to support the use of a variety of digital devices.
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