Introduction
The rapid growth and development in information technology and mobile devices has made the mobile
phone service markets more and more competitive. In order to sustain its present growth rate in the
telecom sector. Mobile phones have become an integral part of human daily life and a major source of
personal communication across the universe. By the end of 2010, there were approximately 3.3 billion
mobile phone users worldwide which is equivalent to a penetration rate of 49% of the last year.
According to the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (2011), the mobile phone
penetration rate in Thailand increased its growth rate to over 50% in 2009 in comparison to 35% in
2007. Within this competitive market, it is essential for mobile phone companies to better understand
purchasing behavior to enable them to acquire new customers and retain existing ones. Blackwell et al.,
(2001) demonstrated that culture has a profound influence on ‘how’ and ‘why’ consumers purchase a
range of products and services. (Foxell et.al., 1994) stated that the consumer’s motivation of product
and service choices as well as lifestyle could be shaped by cultural dimensions.Srivastava (2005) stated
that the mobile phone has shifted from being a ‘technological object’ to a key social object as
communication with others is the main purpose for mobile phone purchasing. However, facilitating
family or friend coordination and intensifying social interaction are the crucial factors for using a
mobile phone.