Thailand is no stranger to technological evolution and rarely is this as true as it is with digital entertainment. Most notably found in areas connected to the internet, Thailand stands among the best in SEA, with progress only growing by the year.
This, despite some major hurdles, means that Thailand and its major cities are poised for a strong entry into the 2020s.
Thailand’s Place
According to a survey from Statista in May 2020, Thailand ranks third in SEA for internet penetration, behind Brunei and Singapore. This penetration is more impressive as it seems, however, given the geographical concerns of these three countries.
Singapore and Brunei are both comparatively small, meaning the creation of a widely connected online infrastructure is relatively simple.
Thailand, having nearly 80 times the area of both of these combined, as well as significantly more mountainous terrain, has far more challenges when creating online connections.
Yet, despite these challenges, Thailand barely lags in internet adoption.
Forms of Entertainment Adoption
One of the largest drivers of trends in entertainment growth is Thailand’s significant rate of smartphone adoption.
With smartphones being used by over three-quarters of Thai people, finding access to related forms of online entertainment is simple, bolstered by widespread 4G and growing 5G coverage.
Online casino (คาสิโนออนไลน์) games are a common example in this regard. As casinos as a whole are popular in Thailand in locations like the Trump Taj Mahal, their online cousins have seen nationwide success.
Slot games especially have been a standout, with their fast-paced titles and ease of playmaking them perfect fits for busy modern lifestyles.
At home, streaming services have already long made their mark in online entertainment, with greater promise coming soon.
Viu and is a strong example from the Asian sphere, though more major systems like Netflix have also made progress recently in greater adoption of Thai media.
Rounding out the entertainment world is the success that Thailand has found in gaming cafes. Made popular by Korea, gaming cafes have fallen out of favor in many countries due to the difficulties of balancing costs, but in Thailand, they remain strong.
With users being able to engage with free-to-play titles or quickly download their own paid experiences, these systems are a huge hit for shared or personal enjoyment.
Thailand performs better in the digital entertainment space than predicted, and the current trajectory shows this pattern is likely to continue.
Despite facing many infrastructural challenges from the nation’s diverse geographical concerns, Thailand remains among the best examples of entertainment connectivity in SEA.
With the 2020s being years where society continues to gravitate away from the traditional and towards online systems, Thailand finds itself in a strong position.
For visitors or those who call the Land of Smiles home, the future in this realm looks to only be growing stronger.
