Agency training 25,000 Thai content creators and online influencers

The  courses will provide students with the skills and knowledge required to pursue new careers as digital content creators and influencers, the agency’s president, Nuttapon Nimmanphatcharin, said at the launch of the project on Thursday.

The project is called Connexion.

The swift growth of Thailand's e-commerce industry is creating lucrative opportunities for skilled content creators and influencers, Nuttapon said.

The Connexion platform will offer two courses: digital content creating and digital influencing. The courses are divided into three levels and are expected to draw about 25,000 students from across the country.

Industry experts will teach both theoretical and practical skills, and at least 200,000 stories and product reviews will be generated by the project, Nuttapon said.

Six roadshows in six regions will be held to raise awareness of the emerging sector, he said.

Students who create outstanding work will participate in the project's exhibition phase, where they will have the opportunity to present their work to a panel of judges and possibly become a rising star online.

The project will provide opportunities for further promotion and potential collaboration with leading Thai and international companies, Nuttapon said.

Kultirat Phakawatkrailet, president of the Thai E-Commerce Association, said that content creators and influencers play a vital role in publicising and selling products and services online.

Kultirat identified the five basics that entrepreneurs need to be successful in e-commerce: 1) an online store, 2) e-marketing, 3) e-logistics, 4) e-payment, and 5) e-commerce with entertainment (live streaming with tie-ins, for example).

"Content creators and influencers are in demand in the e-commerce and entertainment sector. Their storytelling ability creates a distinct identity for a product or service, instilling desire. Consumers' decisions today are heavily influenced by their emotions and unique experiences," Kultirat explained.

Suwita Charanwong, CEO of Tellscore, said it was challenging for a content creator or influencer to gain hundreds of thousands of followers. It requires a wide range of skills, from digital expertise to a high level of understanding of regulations, Suwita said. 

Udomphat Worachot and Apiwit Ektarawong, two well-known Thai content creators, said that being a successful content creator required sincerity, discipline, consistency, determination and the ability to constantly develop new skills.

Nuttapon said Connexion would help expand the Thai e-commerce market.

"We realised we couldn't compete with the industry's many large international online marketplaces. As a result, we must train our own people to reap some benefits from these marketplaces while also growing the Thai e-commerce industry," he explained.

He also said his agency planned to build another platform – Etailligence – that would be an extension of the Connexion project. It will link domestic entrepreneurs with Thailand's leading e-commerce platforms and have a dashboard to identify trends, analyse market gaps, and track popular products.

The platform will be built in collaboration with Etelligence Co. 

Chaiwut Thanakmanusorn, Minister of Digital Economy and Society, praised the Connexion project, saying Thailand was well-positioned to make a solid transition to the digital age.

He also said that digital platforms generate wealth, income, and stability.

Having a large number of talented Thai content creators and influencers will generate more revenue from the domestic and international markets, and spread Thailand’s soft power globally, Chaiwut said.

According to the Thai E-commerce Association, the value of Thailand's e-commerce market was 770 billion baht in 2022, up 8% year on year. Its value is expected to reach 870 billion baht this year and 1.12 trillion baht by 2025, the association said.