Editor’s Note: This is Part 1 of a three-part series examining the transformation of Thailand’s entertainment industry. Across this series, we’ll explore how digital platforms, global fandoms, artificial intelligence, advertising, and gaming are reshaping one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-evolving media markets—and what those changes could mean for the future of entertainment across Asia.
Thailand’s entertainment and media industry isn’t exactly booming.
According to PwC’s latest Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2026–2030, the sector is expected to generate THB545.6 billion (about US$16.7 billion) in revenue this year, up just 1.8% from THB535.8 billion in 2025. By 2030, the market is projected to reach THB616.1 billion, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.1%. On paper, those numbers suggest a mature industry growing at a relatively modest pace.
But focusing only on the headline figures misses the bigger story.
Digital Is Driving Thailand’s Entertainment Transformation
Thailand’s entertainment industry is not simply getting larger—it is changing. Traditional media is gradually giving way to digital platforms, interactive entertainment, data-driven advertising, and globally exportable intellectual property. The industry’s future is being shaped less by television ratings and newspaper circulation than by streaming platforms, gaming communities, social media engagement, and fan ecosystems that extend far beyond Thailand’s borders.
That shift becomes obvious when looking at where the industry’s fastest-growing sectors are.
Internet advertising is expected to climb 13% this year to THB66.8 billion, making it one of the largest growth engines in the entire market. Video gaming and esports are projected to increase 12% to THB52.3 billion, while over-the-top (OTT) streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+, Viu, and local platforms are forecast to grow 11% to THB22.9 billion. By comparison, the industry’s overall growth sits at just 1.8%, highlighting how heavily future expansion depends on digital businesses rather than traditional media.
The trend only becomes more pronounced over the rest of the decade. PwC projects internet advertising to reach THB94.6 billion by 2030, while gaming and esports are expected to grow to THB71 billion. Those aren’t simply healthy growth numbers—they illustrate where consumer attention, advertiser spending, and investor confidence are increasingly concentrated.
This reflects a structural shift happening across the industry.
For decades, entertainment companies largely depended on broadcast television, print advertising, and cinema ticket sales. Today, audiences spend far more time on smartphones, streaming platforms, gaming apps, and social media. Advertisers naturally follow that attention, shifting budgets toward digital platforms where campaigns can be measured more precisely and targeted more effectively.
In other words, Thailand’s entertainment industry isn’t being transformed because traditional media suddenly collapsed. It’s being transformed because audiences changed their habits first—and the money is following them.
Thailand Is No Longer Just Exporting Shows—It’s Exporting Fandoms
If digital advertising explains where the money is moving, Thailand’s content industry explains why the country has become one of Asia’s fastest-growing entertainment exporters.
For years, Thai television was largely consumed domestically, with only the occasional drama finding an audience overseas. That has changed dramatically over the past decade. Today, Thai content—particularly Boys’ Love (BL) and Girls’ Love (GL) series, collectively known locally as Y-series—has become one of the country’s most recognizable cultural exports, attracting dedicated fan communities across Asia, Latin America, Europe, and North America.
According to research from SCB Economic Intelligence Center (EIC), Thailand’s Y-series industry is expected to generate more than THB4.9 billion in 2025, expanding at an average annual rate of around 17%. Thailand also accounts for more than half of Asia’s BL productions and a majority of the region’s GL titles, cementing its position as the genre’s global leader.
But the real story isn’t simply that these dramas are becoming more popular.
It’s that Thailand has built an ecosystem around them.
A successful series no longer ends when the final episode airs. Instead, it becomes the foundation for a much broader business. Revenue flows not only from broadcast rights and streaming licenses, but also from international distribution, merchandise, brand endorsements, fan meetings, concert tours, exclusive fan experiences, and even tourism inspired by filming locations. In many cases, the actors themselves become brands, building careers that extend well beyond a single television project.
Major companies such as GMMTV have embraced this model, operating simultaneously as production houses, talent agencies, event organizers, and merchandising businesses. Independent studios including Domundi, Be On Cloud, and CHANGE2561 have adopted similar strategies, proving that the commercial opportunity extends well beyond traditional broadcasters.
The Thai government has also recognized the industry’s export potential.
Through the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), Thailand has launched initiatives to introduce Y-series talent and businesses to overseas markets, organizing fan meetings alongside business matchmaking events in countries including Mexico, Brazil, Australia, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Taiwan. These programs are designed not simply to promote television shows, but to expand Thailand’s creative economy by connecting production companies, distributors, retailers, and international partners.
The same commercial model is beginning to reshape Thailand’s music industry.
As T-Pop continues to grow internationally, labels are increasingly looking beyond streaming revenue. Concerts, merchandise, fan memberships, sponsorships, and live events are becoming just as important as album sales, echoing the diversified business model that helped K-pop become a global phenomenon. According to industry estimates, Thailand’s T-Pop sector could generate around THB11 billion in revenue in 2026, driven largely by fan spending rather than music consumption alone.
Taken together, these developments point to a broader transformation.
Thailand is no longer simply exporting television dramas or pop songs. It is exporting intellectual property, artists, and the global fan communities that form around them. In today’s entertainment business, the content may spark the initial interest—but long-term growth increasingly comes from everything that happens after audiences press play.
This is Part 1 of a three-part series exploring the future of Thailand’s entertainment industry.
Next: How AI and Digital Advertising Are Reinventing Thailand’s Entertainment Business.
We’ll examine why technology isn’t replacing creativity—it is changing how entertainment companies discover audiences, market content, and generate revenue in an increasingly digital economy.
