The role of amenities and city branding on job pursuit intentions in Rayong: a study of engineering students

Amid Thailand’s effort to develop Rayong as a leading province in the Eastern Economic Corridor, attracting and keeping skilled engineers is essential. This study surveyed 148 final-year engineering students to explore how urban and natural amenities, city-brand attitude, and self–city brand connection influences their intention to work in Rayong. The results from multiple regression analysis showed that only self–city brand connection had a positive effect on job-pursuit intention. Amenity perceptions were not significant, and city-brand attitude became negative once perceived job opportunities were considered; job opportunity itself was the strongest predictor. These findings suggest that identity alignment and strong career prospects matter more than lifestyle features when students choose where to work. However, challenges in data collection and the use of a specific participant group may limit the generalizability of the results. Future research should include larger and more diverse samples, improve measurement tools, and use mediation, moderation, and qualitative methods to better understand how branding, amenities, and job opportunities influence relocation decisions.