The street food trade is now a growing sector in many developing countries, especially in Bangkok, a metropolis of Thailand. This study found that “reasonable price” was considered the most influential factor on street food consumption in Bangkok. By definition, street food is food sold on the street or in a public place, usually from a portable stall.
To distinguish street food vendors from food establishments in the formal sector, such as restaurants, the Equity Policy Center (EPOC) adds the further qualification that street food is sold on the street from pushcarts or baskets or balance poles, or from stalls or shops with less than four permanent walls ( Tinker, 1987). Street food trading is one of the channels through which agricultural products ultimately reach consumers. In Bangkok there is always 'street food' and there are some foods that are almost exclusively on the street.
The 1993 Bangkok Street Food Handbook (Yee and Gordon, 1996) classified street food in Bangkok as main dishes, noodles, snacks, desserts and drinks. In addition, street food is more attractive to consumers than a formal restaurant (except on special occasions) (Gunniga, 2009) because the location of a street food business is along the road so that the consumer can easily purchase food (Rajagopal, 2010). The street food sold in Bangkok could be classified into five groups, namely main dishes, noodles, snacks, desserts and drinks.
However, these three studies did not focus on factors influencing street food consumption.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
- Research design
- Population and sampling
- Data collection
- Data analysis
The fifteen participants, who agreed to participate in this study and consumed street food from stalls in the Bangkok area, were interviewed through an in-depth interview. To answer the research question, in-depth interviews and non-participant observation techniques were adopted as the primary data collection approaches because these methods can better describe an understanding of a social or cultural phenomenon to develop strategies. In-depth interviews are optimal for gathering data about individuals' personal histories, perspectives, and experiences, especially when exploring sensitive topics (Denzin et al., 2000).
An interview, the purpose of which is to collect descriptions of the life world of the interviewee in relation to the interpretation of the meaning of the described phenomena. In addition to face-to-face (FtF) interviews, the researcher also interviewed by telephone, which is also popular (Kvale, 1983). With open-ended questions, participants are free to respond in their own words, and these responses tend to be more complex than simply "yes" or "no" (Denzin et al., 2000).
The demographic characteristics of street food consumers were also covered, with an emphasis on gender, income, age and level of education. Reflective note taking is also used to record observed data as it helps the researcher to categorize the information provided by the interviewees. Qualitative content analysis, which is a research method for subjectively interpreting the content of textual data through a systematic classification process of coding and identifying themes or patterns (Hsieh & Shannon, 2005), was used to analyze data from reflective writing.
It is most often used to analyze interview transcripts to reveal or model people's information-related behaviors and thoughts (Patton, 2002). The unit of analysis refers to the basic unit of text to be classified during content analysis. Messages must be unified before they can be coded, and differences in unit definition may affect coding decisions as well as the comparability of results with other similar studies (De Wever et al., 2006).
Therefore, the definition of the coding unit is one of the most fundamental and important decisions (Weber, 1990). The conclusion from the coded data involves making sense of the themes or categories that have been identified, and their characteristics. At this stage, the researcher will draw inferences and present the reconstructions of meanings obtained from the data.
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
Observation findings
During non-participant observation of street food characteristics, as shown in Figure 4.1, several consumers consumed local traditional food. Kuoy-teaw-tom-yum” (a kind of noodle) at Sri-Pra-Ya Street Food which was located along the road. Most people came by public transport, by walking, which is the best way to visit street food, and by motorbike, which can be parked on the footpath, next to the stalls or in the small alleys (or sois as they are called in Thailand) around there.
In addition, there are other types of street food stalls along the footpath, as shown in Figure 4.2, which consumers will have new experiences in eating street food that can be selected by themselves at an economical price. There were 4-5 tables with seats and some umbrellas to protect the customers and vendors from the sun. Sometimes, there were motorbikes passing on the footpath while consuming street food, which could lead to sudden accident.
It looks proper and unsanitary refers to a period of observation time, but consumers still visit and order food without any caution.
Demographic profiles of respondents
Factors toward street food consumption
Sometimes I choose to eat street food from stalls because I am tempted by the good smell just passing by. This finding is compatible with previous studies which showed that the location of a street food business is along the road where the consumer can easily purchase food (Rajagopal, 2010). Palatability is a factor that respondents gave importance to when deciding to consume street food, as reflected in their street food experiences as follows.
I prefer to eat street food because of taste that is familiar with my sensory and taste buds. In my point of view, time is money, so speed of cooking time is my significant factor in consuming street food, as I don't want to waste my time with irrational waiting.” This finding is consistent with the previous research which found that cooking time plays an important role in the purchase decision regarding convenience food, as time is at the heart of reasons why consumers choose products such as street food and other prepackaged products (Darian, 1995). .
Street food allowed me not only to enjoy the food, but also the joy of being involved in the atmosphere, because I like to watch other people's activities, and some stalls can also be a meeting place." The atmosphere of street food is more familiar to me than restaurants, especially when I go with friends because it doesn't have to be a formal place like Moo-kra-ta, Jimjoom.''Due to the ancient history of street food stalls and the long sales period, I can be sure about the quality and taste.''
This interview has found that almost all respondents depend on street food every day and believe that it is necessary for Bangkok people because Bangkok. During the interview, the fifteen respondents gave an average of an overall satisfaction rating on street food stalls of 3.4 out of 5. The rest has been subtracted, as some of them had bad experiences consuming street food and also worried about the problems below.
Respondents also indicated that they normally make superficial judgments about the placement of food, cooking utensils, utensils, staff costumes and the clearing of rubbish on the floor before deciding to eat at street stalls. The other possible sanitary problems such as diarrhea, garbage accumulation on the streets and the congestion of the sewage drains, which will lead to cockroaches, rats and so on in the street food areas. Although many respondents place importance on hygiene when selecting a street food vendor, consumers are often unaware of the health risks associated with street food.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Practical Implications
They should be placed away from garbage, dirty water, no cockroaches around, as currently, street food is convenient but unsanitary and quite unsafe for consumers.
Limitations of the study & Recommendations for future research
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APPENDIX
Appendix A: The interview guide
