1. Social Media for Smart Farmer
(Case study: Durian Society)
Samard Doungwichitrkul
School of Liberal Art
Shinawatra International University
57425001-5@st.siu.ac.th
Wuttipong Pongsuwan Ph.D.
School of Liberal Art
Shinawatra International University
wuttipong.p@siu.ac.th
Suchai Thanawastien Ph.D.
School of Liberal Art
Shinawatra International University
suchai@siu.ac.th
……..
ABSTRACT
This research studied the daily life style of Thai farmers who are possible to be
"Smart Farmers" which can utilize their smart phone as a tool to make their farm more
efficient. One step of these value chains will be focused on this research for farmers to
market and sale their products.
This research also proposes a new business model to the farmers to let them to have
relationship direct to the consumers and eliminate the middlemen who control the price of
agricultural products and this is not fair to the farmers who spend higher cost of farming.
This durian society model combined the lifestyle of both farmers and consumers
who daily access to the internet for social media communication. They developed
friendship directly to each other by this technology. By this strategy, consumers feel that
they own durian tree. They can visit and harvest the durian and farm stay in green
atmosphere by themselves to create memorable experiences. This model can be used as
agro-tourism in Chanthaburi province.
Keywords: Society of Friendship, Digital Economy, Digital Society Life-Style,
Social Media/Network, Customer Experience, Experience Marketing, Farm Ecosystem,
Agro Tourism, Smart Farmer, Creative Economy, Digital Marketing, Quality, Sustainability
INTRODUCTION
Thailand produces a lot of agricultural products to the world’s market by almost 35
million farmers. Even though, Thailand exports a lot of rice and fruits to the world market,
our farmers own small pieces of land. Traditional farmers depend on nature; they have less

2. technology, knowledge and lack of planning. The results of that make oversupply stock and
create farmer’s debt for over 4 decades.
The above factors make Thai farmers have sold their products as raw
material. Lack of value added to their products. Lack of stability and sustainability caused
low quality of life. The lower income also forced them to sell the land and become farmer
who lease instead of farmer who own land.
This research will experiment on a business model named “Durian
Society”. Durian, which is entitled “the King of Tropical Fruit”, means the best tasted and
the highest cost. This model based on innovative marketing strategy which mixed of
currently digital lifestyle of both farmer and consumer and also farmers traditional of
hospitality to the visitors in the rural area.
With the uses of information and communication technology via Web 2.0 and social
media, we built relationship among farmers, consumers and relevant to the society of
friendship (Society of friendship) trust each other. This will create a memorable experience
for the consumer and a model for other agricultural products.
OBJECTIVES
a). Explore the ways farmers use their social media in their profession.
b). Develop a new creative marketing model for agricultural products which is
corresponding of both consumers and farmers on Media, Information and
Communication Technology for today's socio-economic digital lifestyle.
c). Find the factors effecting transformation the traditional farmer to smart farmers
via social media.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Social media is the media that used for communicating, stories writing, experience
sharing by articles, photos and videos which were made by users themselves. It is also
possible to share these types of content from any other network into any other social
network. This communication is
done over the internet and mobile
phones, and this era of social
media has occurred about 20
years ago.
The number of Thai
people who are using social
media is high ranking of the
world. Lastly, in the 2nd quarter
of 2014, the number of Thai
Facebook active users was 30
million, YouTube 26.25 million,
Twitter. 4.5 million and
Instagram 1.7 million.
This group of Thai
people use social media almost
constantly, since waking up, in
Picture 1 The use of Social media of Thai. Cr. : Zocial Inc.

3. the toilet, eating, on the way to office, studying and before bedtime.
This report found that the groups of users who use internet and social media to
purchase goods and services which related to traveling and tourism are users in Gen X and
Baby boomer. These group is high
potential to be targeted consumers for
consumption of vary kind of fruits such
as durian, rambutan, mangosteen,
lychee, etc., as well as local dishes and
stay as farm stay in the orchard as agro-
tourism.
Peter Drucker define that
"Marketing is the way to extended the
selling as quick as possible", William J.
Stanton said "Marketing means all
business activities which is able to
affect to pricing, distributing of goods
or services and marketing promotion to
satisfy both current and anticipated
future customers" and The American
Marketing Association: AMA provides a definition of the market as "Marketing means any
activities in the business which move goods and services from the manufacturer to the
consumer and then the consumer or user are satisfied and achieving the objectives of the
organization."
Dr. Philip Kotler, Well-known marketing professor of at the United States define
the meaning of marketing that "marketing is a social process and management of the
individual or group to get something needs and wants by creating valuable products to
exchange with others "
Kasem Phiphatsareetham said that marketers need to clarify that what causes make
demand to customer. It is the "Needs", which is need to be responsive to eliminate or
"Wants", which is a higher demand from the first level. The product or service not only
eliminate the problem, It also has to response to additional requirement of customers which
is called "Demands". It is requirement of customers who has high purchasing power. So,
they require more than the first two levels.
Ploenthip Komessopha said that "Experiential Marketing" means to create the good
feeling, the impressive and reinforces the feeling into the memories of customers who is
owning or use services or goods as long as possible. It is for the customer's favorite, faith
and loyalty. It causes to the customers to come back to repeat buying goods or services of
the organization again and also supplied the news or tell the story of their experience to the
public. Marketing experience is the strategic marketing, which is different from traditional
marketing which is focus on benefits of products.
This strategy strengthen experience of the customers on the physical experience
which is something tangible such as the shape, style, colorful, accuracy, precise, fast, and
fair price. It also means emotional experience which is intangible such as image, services,
reliability, confident and faith.
Picture 2 Internet user in Gen X and Baby Boomer use for
traveling and tourisminformation. Cr.: ETDA

4. METHEDOLOGY
From research purposes, the processes of this collecting information are: -
 Study on the lifestyle and culture which are possible effective to related
farming of target farmers.
 Study the context and impact of information and communications technology
to the livelihoods of farmers.
 Meeting with management and staff of Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural
Cooperatives (at head office and Chanthaburi branch), officials of
Chanthaburi Provincial Agricultural Office to clarify, information discuss
and brainstorming on project implementation and recommendations for the
selection of the first group of farmers to participate in a prospective study.
 Organize the meeting and inspire the target farmers by inviting some
expertise and entrepreneur of agribusiness to talk about the world changing
which impact to farming. It causes to farmers to adapt themselves and make
more value added to the products.
 Interview the farmers who used social media as a part of their daily life by
online questionnaire and analysis by statistical application program (SPSS).
 Group interview and discussed with the farmers who are the members of
agricultural community enterprise.
RESULT
This research and showed the result from the farmers through social media as the
followings:
 Durian farmers are experts on plantation and harvesting. They lack of skills
in marketing.
 Most farmers own smart phone as the primary tool for communication. All
of them use internet and social media as daily life.
 The farmers need Wi-Fi and 3 G/4G for internet usage to upgrade the quality
of farmer’s life.
 Farmers send their kids to study to get at least bachelor degree or higher.
 Farmers are ready to form a new joint marketing project. Smart phone is a
new tool for communications for projects.
NEW BUSINESS MODEL: DURIAN SOCIETY
The advanced technology of the internet, smart phone and platform of social media
which are very popular in Thailand such as Facebook, Google+, Line chat application,
Instagram, Twitter, etc. are useful to farmer and consumer to communicate to each other.
They can be friends (social friend) in a society whose member are favorite to consumption
durian and other tropical fruits.
Moreover, a good hospitable and Thai traditional proverb which teach about
welcoming and make satisfaction to the guests, Thai famer in the rural can make impression
that bring business model to differentiate exotic to consumers and create added value for
durian in two formats continued as follows: -

5. o Business model 1: "Friend2Farm" is selling "durian tree" to "Friend" who is possible
to be anyone who use social media and living in the city or any foreigner who want
to get the opportunity to get impress to experience of charming rural culture where is
the real Thai style.
 The farmer's "Friend" will be updated through social media on the status of
durian tree which was purchased about related treatments for example the
watering, decorating, fertilizing, spraying for insect and disease prevention,
flowering and etc. This information is "story" and "friendship" which the
farmer intends to delivery to "Friend".
 "Friend" will get appointment from "Farm" to harvest durian fruits through
social media. It is "highlight" of this activity. "Friend" may take either family
or group of friends to fun with this harvesting. Then, "Friend" and family will
get the atmosphere and good impression of a durian by themselves.
 This smart farmer is quite convenience to welcome “Friend" by the nature of
as a farmer being without haven't any extra services which are different from
his normal way of life. It represents a sincere and "friendship" between the
"Friend" and "Farm" in the long term as well as the principles of CBT:
community base tourism.
 This marketing strategy is completely different principle from the traditional
marketing which treat the "customer as(is) a king” or "the customer is always
right" which may make the client has higher expectations to get extra
services from farmer which has no aptitude. It against to their feelings from
his status who "own" his business, never been a servant to any clients.
o Business model 2: "Farm2Friend" starting by "Farm" reserve the best few fruit of
each durian tree as a premium grade (other durian fruits will be separately sold by
traditional method). Take the photos of the fruits, upload to social media of the
society and describe the quality and some interesting story to attract the "Friend" in
society. It is for bidding competition for everyone who want to get that fruit. Then it
will be delivered to winner's home when it is ripe and ready to be consumed.
EXPECTED OUTCOME
These research creative activities make benefit as following: -
o Fair & Firm4Farmer: More alternative sale channel for "Farm" for more
constancy and able to sell their produce at fair price.
o Farm & Fun4Friend: the consumers feel that they have ownership of the
durian orchard and associated in plantation, producing to quality products
with fun, happiness, satisfaction in the long run.
o Farm & Fun4Family: new value and paradigm shift to both "Farm" and
"Friend". It is possible to be new trend to the family of high-end and
intermediate consumers to have frequenter suppliers of some vegetable, fruit
and agricultural products. This will make more confidence to consumer to get
quality and safety on reliable and traceable sources. Then the farmer delivers

6. to “Friend's Family" on a regular basis instead of buying from the general
market.
CONCLUSIONS and RECOMMENDATIONS
We setup a meeting with around 8 0 target farmers and some officials who
concerned to intermittently since mid of year 2 0 1 5 . The "Durian Society" project has been
supported from the authorities to participate in brainstorming. It is very good collaboration
from many organizations. And Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives: BAAC,
has supported some budget to these activities.
The farmers, particularly young farmers who attend the meeting, recognize the
changing of technology, consumer behavior, climate change and middleman who has big
funding from abroad. These changes will impact both direct and indirect farming. It causes
to farmers to adapt themselves and make more value added to the products. So, about 1 0 of
farmers want to participate as pilot farmers. The rest of participants said that they want to
look at the performance of the underlying farmers to begin in the first year, and then they
will participate in next year.
However, due to a severe drought this year, this crisis was very significantly
affected to overall agriculture. The farmers not only to maintain the productivity and quality
of fruits, they also need to save the life of the trees in farm.
Because of drought in 2016, the farmers who want to participate in "Friend2 Farm"
prototype requested to delay to next year (2017). They want to concentrate on closely
maintain the fruit to avoid further damage. But the activities of “Farm2Friend” have already
performed and the premium durian got very positive response from consumers.

7. REFERENCE
[1] Bangkok University “Introduction to Marketing”
http://elearning.bu.ac.th/mua/course/mk212/ch1.htm
[2] Chusak Dejkreangkraikul, “Brand Experience Marketing3.0”, [2]
http://www.thaimarketingguru.com/2012/12/brand-experience-
marketing30.html
[3] Digital Advertising Association(Thailand) and MarketingOops.com, “Users
statisticof social mediain Thailand in 2014.” [3]
http://www.marketingoops.com/reports/metrix/infographic-thailand-social-
media-landscape-2014/
[4] Digital Advertising Association(Thailand) “Users of mobile phones across
Thailand in Q1 2558” http://www.daat.in.th/index.php/daat-mobile-2015/
[5] Eleader, “Marketing Strategy 3.0”, http://www.theeleader.com/vision-of-
marketing-3-0/
[6] Electronic Transactions Development Agency (Public Organization) Thailand
“Internet User Profile 2015”
[7] Graduate students, College of Management Model 16A. Mahidol University [7]
“The 17th Marketing Seminars” http://www.brandbuffet.in.th/2015/03/brand-
experience-service-cmmu/
[9] http://naitouen.com/
[10] Kasem Pipatsereethamm, “Who is customer…Why focus?”, National
Productivity Institute.
[11] Ploenthip Komonsopha , Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy,
Chulalongkorn University.
[12] Pookpintokao team, “Rice Connectivity”, http://pookpintokao.com/
[13] TPBS “Get to know; Rice Goddess”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoUdVgDpZhk
[14] Thailand Zocial Awards 2014, “Online Statistic and Thai people behavior for
the Social Network” http://www.it24hrs.com/2014/thai-social-network-2014/