Energy and Environment Research; Vol. 8, No. 2; 2018 ISSN 1927-0569 E-ISSN 1927-0577 Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education 55 Energy Conservation Behavior of Thai University Students Kunanunt Thayayuth 1 & Paitoon Pimdee 2 1 Faculty of Business Administration, Southeast Asia University, Bangkok, Thailand 2 Faculty of Industrial Education and Technology, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL), Bangkok, Thailand Correspondence: Paitoon Pimdee, Faculty of Industrial Education and Technology, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok, 10520 Thailand. E-mail: paitoon.pi@kmitl.ac.th Received: Sep. 30, 2018 Accepted: October 9, 2018 Online Published: November 26, 2018 doi:10.5539/eer.v8n2p55 URL: https://doi.org/10.5539/eer.v8n2p55 Abstract An estimated 1.2 billion people, or 16% of the global population, did not have access to electricity in 2015. Therefore, access and the conservation of energy have become critical issues in a country’s quest for economic prowess and sustainability. This research, therefore, aimed to study the energy-conservation behavior of university students, and compare their energy-saving behavior categorized by gender and university group. The sample of 900 undergraduate students came from 15 Thai public universities under the Office of the Higher Education Commission [OHEC] in the 2013 academic year. The sample was randomly selected using a multi-stage sampling method. The instrument used to collect data in this research was a 5-level rating-scale questionnaire with reliability which was between 0.86-0.94. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, t-test for independent sample and one-way ANOVA. The findings revealed that the students exhibited energy-conservation behavior in a family context at a high level, while energy-conservation behavior for themselves, and for the public was at a moderate level. Male and female students had different energy-conservation behaviors, and students under different university groups had distinct energy-conservation behaviors. Keywords: energy conservation, energy consumption, family energy conservation, personal energy conservation 1. Introduction 1.1 Thailand’s Energy Consumption Energy has become the basic necessity for the economic development of a country, which has become part of the critical infrastructure in a society’s development. Globally, 1.2 billion people, or 16% of the world's population, did not have access to electricity (World Energy Outlook, 2016). In Thailand, like most places, the search for energy and how it consumed, and more recently, how it is conserved, have become critical issues in the sustainable growth for the Kingdom's economic prosperity. Although energy consumption increase is associated with factors such as urbanization, industrialization, and technological progress, other human factors are in play as well (Pimdee, 2017). These factors include a lack of knowledge concerning the need for conservation and knowledge of environmental issues surrounding the use of various energy forms. Research has proven that studying university student energy use and conservation behavior can be a powerful predictor of future energy trends and potential problems/solutions in a nation’s energy requirements, as education plays a strategic role in improving energy efficiency (European Commission, 2005; Department of Energy and Climate Change, 2012). In 2018, according to the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand [EGAT], there was a total of approximately 42.5 megawatts [MW] of installed capacity from various sources throughout Thailand (Figure 1). These sources include 15.757 MW from EGAT's power plants, and 14.948 MW from independent power producers (IPPs) (EGAT, 2018). The remaining power generation came from small power producers [SPPs] (7.866 MW), and the purchase of 3.877 MW from other regional countries such as Laos and Malaysia.