Is Thailand the Next Hotspot for Gaming Content?

Over the past decade, it would be fair to say that we have seen something of a democratization of the gaming and online content industries around the globe. Once dominated almost exclusively by the US and Japan, blossoming industries in countries such as China, the Czech Republic, and the Nordics have helped to balance the scales somewhat.

If you're trying to figure out where the winds are blowing within the global gaming and content industries, one place worth looking at is Thailand. Let's take a closer look at why this country of 70 million people is on track to be a future hotspot for gaming of all stripes. 

A Nation of Online Gamers

When comparing countries, a good place to start is with the numbers. In this regard, Thailand stands out as a nation that is more enthusiastic about online gaming than almost anywhere else on the planet. Around 32 million people in Thailand play online games on a daily basis, which is equivalent to almost half the population of the entire country.

Meanwhile, 77% of those play online games multiple times a day, amounting to numbers that cannot be found in many other parts of the globe. Interestingly, breaking these numbers down further reveals a lot more about the evolving nature of gaming in Thailand.

For example, across all demographics, it is mobile gaming that dominates, with 87% of all gaming hours in Thailand taking place on mobile devices. In comparison, only 40% of Thais regularly play games on their PC, while a measly 21% ever play games on a console, a figure that is much lower than rates in the US or Europe.

In addition, online game streaming has taken off in a big way, with a large proportion of gamers reporting to watch video game streams for an hour or more per day. 

Getting Serious About eSports

Given that the country is a huge fan of game streaming and online play, it should come as no surprise that Thailand is rapidly rising through the global eSports ranks, providing home-grown talent and teams that are now a formidable presence on the world stage.

The Thai government officially recognized eSports as an official national sport in September 2021, becoming one of the first countries to do so and sending a clear message to the world about its competitiveness in this area.

The official Thai eSports Federation receives state funding and is responsible for many of the most competitive players and teams to come out of Thailand, including Jabz, 23Savage, and FirstOne, all eSports megastars that have earned millions from their playing abilities. What sports do you follow? As eSports continues to rise in global popularity, expect to see Thailand very well represented indeed. 

New Markets are Emerging

That's not all. It's also clear that Thailand is embracing other forms of online gameplay as well to an extent that few others in the region have done to date. One standout example here concerns online casino gaming, which is already a $100 billion-a-year industry worldwide. While few of Thailand's neighbors have strong iGaming ecosystems, Thailand itself has a wealth of platforms and games for real-money gamers.

As this guide to online casinos in Thailand explains, there is now a huge number of licensed online casino game platforms serving Thai players, providing thousands of slots, table games, and live casino experiences. If current trends continue, it is entirely plausible that Thailand could become the epicenter of real-money online gaming in Asia in the near future. 

A Homegrown Talent Boom 

One incredibly newsworthy story that is only starting to garner wider attention is the rapid growth of Thailand's domestic gaming industry, with an explosion in the number of developers, studios, and successful titles coming out of the country in recent years. Currently, Thailand is ranked as harboring the world's 23rd largest gaming industry, with revenues in excess of $330 million a year.

Popular game studios include Sandbox Local, Gamesquare, and Sanuk Games, all of which have worked on internationally successful titles. Some examples of successful games produced in Thailand include the survival horror Home Sweet Home, the RPG M.A.S.S. Builder, and a number of video games produced under the Barbie Doll franchise. 

In the world of all things gaming, Thailand is emerging as an increasingly important global player. Watch this space to see where it goes.