Consumption of Food Away From Home (FAFH): Case Study of Gen Y in Bangkok

Abstract

This research aims to study the consumption behavior and determine major variables influencing the consumption of Food Away From Home (FAFH) of Gen Y in Bangkok. Data used in the analysis were collected from Gen Y in Bangkok by using questionnaires. Variables used in the study of Food Away From Home (FAFH) of Gen Y in Bangkok were: time spent outside, family’s eating habit, online media, income, and number of meals per day. The findings are as follows: Gen Y in Bangkok had FAFH 2.64 times per day. The cost of having FAFH was 226.83 baht per meal. Having FAFH alone by Gen Y in Bangkok occupied the largest proportion (46.2%), followed by having it with a lover (20.4%), friends (19.3%), family (11.8%), and spouse (2%). The FAFH were mostly bought from street food shops (52.8%), followed by general food shops (17.2%), convenience stores (9.5%) and department stores (9.3%). The majority of FAFH of Gen Y in Bangkok was rice and dishes eaten with rice. The reasons contributing to them having FAFH, with highest contribution first, were online media, followed by the hustle of urban society, higher cost of home cooking relative to FAFH, density of population and traffic jams, and the rise of food delivery services. Variable of time spent outside, family’s eating habit, online media, income, and the number of meals per day influenced the consumption of FAFH of Gen Y in Bangkok at a statistically significant level. These variables had positive correlation and were explanatory of changes in the consumption of FAFH of Gen Y in Bangkok at 81.6 percent. In comparing the variables influencing the consumption of FAFH of Gen Y in Bangkok, the variable of time spent outside influenced the consumption of FAFH of Gen Y in Bangkok at the highest level (beta = 0.510). Next in descending order were the variables of family’s eating habit (beta = 0.375), online media (Beta = 0.128), the number of meals per day (Beta = 0.068), and income (Beta = 0.065).