Digital-content businesses taking more prominent role
Digital-content business is taking a pivotal role in the global market thanks to a transition towards the digital era, the Department of Business Development (DBD) said on Sunday.
The department said the digital-content business has emerged as people now are able to access electronic devices such as smartphones, smart TVs and tablets, as well as digital advertisements.
As of November 30 last year, there were 1,071 digital-content business operators in Thailand, with registered capital totalling 4.80 billion baht.
Of them, 299 were animators and character designers, 257 were game producers and 515 were e-book publishers. Most digital-content businesses had been established in the North and Central regions, including Bangkok, the department said.
Meanwhile, foreign investors had put 833 million baht into digital-content businesses in Thailand, including 272 million baht on animation and characters, 422 million baht on games and 139 million baht on e-books.
The top three regions that had invested in digital-content businesses in Thailand were Malaysia (172 million baht), Japan (146 million baht) and Hong Kong (117 million baht).
The DBD said e-book publishers have generated the highest revenue and profits so far, with 3.97 billion baht in revenue and 107 million baht in profits generated in 2023.
E-book publishers gained positive sentiment from a transition towards the digital era and closure of many bookstores, causing people to read books via electronic devices, the department said.
The department noted character design has also played an important role in the digital-content market, saying that Thai characters like Plaplatootoo and Butterbear have won recognition among foreigners and can be further developed into other products like art toys.
However, DBD director general Auramon Supthaweethum pointed out challenges for Thailand in penetrating the digital content market. She noted that funds for hiring content creators and procuring digital tools are crucial for boosting the business’ growth.
Thai content creators have high potential to penetrate the digital-content market overseas if they have an opportunity to showcase their skill and boost economic value domestically, she explained.
She confirmed that public agencies have collaborated with the private sector to promote Thai digital content internationally, such as hosting exhibitions, boosting the potential of Thai content creators and promoting Thailand’s identity in production.
