Facebook is the primary information channel for Thai online shoppers, according to a poll by a global market research firm.
The findings were based on a survey of 1,000 respondents in Thailand in January conducted by TNS Research International (Thailand).
The survey also showed 66% of respondents used their smartphones to order products online, citing greater convenience and the availability of apps that allow users to compare products and prices on the internet.
Of the total who used smartphones for shopping, 65% accessed Facebook as their main channel to research product information. Some 46% used e-commerce websites, 42% used other social media, 40% used email, 36% used mobile apps and 18% used chat apps.
"These figures highlight the impact of social networks and mobile phones on consumers' purchasing process," said Arpapat Boonrod, managing director of TNS Research International (Thailand).
She said Facebook was the most widely used social network platform among Thai e-commerce customers, with 92% of respondents using it on a daily basis.
The survey also found that 70% of shoppers research online prior to buying products. Facebook, search engines and YouTube are the top three online channels used to research products.
In addition, half of the respondents said they purchased products they found via Facebook and 40% share their purchase decisions on the social network site.
"The popularity of Facebook in Thailand has made it the most important channel for online shoppers, from searching for information to making a decision and sharing their purchase experience," she said.
Cosmetics and travel booking are two popular businesses that use Facebook as an advertising and sales channel, said Ms Arpapat.
Rathiya Issarachaikul, team leader for SMEs that use Facebook, said the website had become an influential channel for online shoppers, thanks to the solid Facebook user base here.
Facebook has 30 million users in Thailand, 28 million of whom access it via their mobile phones each month.
As of December 2014, there were 21 million people in Thailand using Facebook daily, 20 million of whom accessed the site via mobile phone.
As of March 2015, Facebook had 1.44 billion users globally. Some 1.25 billion access Facebook on their mobile phones each month.