Abstract: This research aims to 1) study the components of the quality of public maritime transportation services, and 2) develop a structural equation model (SEM) of the quality of public maritime transportation services. The research population under investigation in this study includes individuals who utilize marine passenger vessels, including ferries, crossing boats, and speedboats, in four primary coastal destinations of Thailand: Pattaya, Trat, Hua-Hin, and Phuket. A sample of 400 respondents was selected using questionnaires as the primary data collection tool. The data were analyzed using multivariate statistical techniques to construct the SEM. The results revealed that the proposed model demonstrated a good fit with the empirical data, as indicated by statistical values: p-value = 0.082, CMIN/DF = 1.415, GFI = 0.983, and RMSEA = 0.032, all meeting the recommended thresholds and showing significance at the 0.001 level. The standardized regression weight of 0.95 indicated that reliability had the most significant direct effect on responsiveness in the analysis of the overall model influence. This investigation demonstrates that the operator’s dependability is a critical foundation that directly influences the readiness and speed of timely service delivery. Therefore, it is evident that maritime public transport operators should prioritize the development of reliability in order to encourage their personnel to operate at their maximum capacity.

Keywords: Quality, Public Maritime Transportation, Service, Tangible, Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance, Empathy

Pages: 1361-1369