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Published on April 1, 2008

In Thailand, a staggering 91 per cent of respondents, the highest percentage out of the 10 countries participating in the study, cited the Internet as the preferred source for information on consumer electronics products, followed by Japan (89 per cent) and Taiwan (88 per cent).

Nearly 10,000 MSN / Windows Live service users were surveyed across 10 markets in Asia - Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand - in a poll conducted by Synovate from August to October 2007. In Thailand, responses were gathered from a total of 1,152 participants.

In the survey, over half (57 per cent) of Asian respondents said the Internet was their most important source of gathering information on electronics - much higher than word of mouth (10 per cent) and brochures or catalogues (7 per cent). The reasons given for preferring the Internet to traditional channels included convenience (68 per cent); easier comparisons of product features and prices (64 per cent and 61 per cent respectively); and a greater depth of information available online (58 per cent).

"Today, instead of making a trip to the mall for product guidance, or settling for a product based on limited reviews from family and friends - smarter consumers are conducting their own research online, where a multitude of product comparisons, reviews and recommendations are freely available," Kamolpat Swaengkit, national sales manager - Thailand, Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions, said.

Of the Thai respondents using the Internet for researching consumer electronics, a 66-per-cent majority claimed that they use manufacturers' websites to do their online research, while 40 per cent mentioned that they access portals.

Interestingly, 40 per cent of Thais in the survey said they use e-mail to discuss product reviews with family and friends while 33 per cent would use instant messenging.

The most common electronic product Thai respondents enjoy researching online is their next mobile phone, with 51 per cent of the respondents stating they spend more time researching this product online than any other.

This was followed by laptop computers and digital cameras.

The Nation