An invited presentation at the Game & Creative Contents Networking Bangkok 2014. A quick overview of the Thai Game Industry. A directory of Thai Companies are provided in the given handbook from the event, so I have not included the list here. Currently our Thai Game Software Industry Association is working on a new Directory. Once it is done, I'll include the link to the directory.

1. Overview of the Game Industry
in Thailand
Pisal Setthawong

2. About the Speaker
Pisal Setthawong
• Award Winning and Early
Pioneer in the Thai Game
Industry
– Co-Founded Pigsss Games
• Developer Community
Volunteer/Organizer
• Well-travelled Game
Educator
• Committees at various
Game Events /Organizations
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3. Outline of Talk
• Overview of the Game Industry in Thailand
– Timeline
– Actors/Stakeholders in Thailand
– The Gamers
• Future Opportunities and Challenges of the
Industry
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4. TIMELINE
Overview of the Game Industry in Thailand
Maturity
Trials
Early
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5. Major Period Classifications in
the Thai Game Development Industry (1/2)
PC
• Start of Industry
• 2000
PC
Mobile
PDA
• Rise of Mobile
• 2002-2005
???
• Mobile Market Crash
• 2005
Maturity
Trials
Early
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6. Major Period Classifications in
the Thai Game Industry (2/2)
MMOG
Console
PC Casual
• Transition Phase
• 2005-2008
FB
Mobile
• The Rise of Facebook and the App Store
• 2009-2011
• Increasing Maturity
• 2011-Present
Maturity
Trials
Early
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7. View the Timeline
• View the timeline at:
http://www.tiki-toki.com/
timeline/imagemode/291692/
Thai-Game-Industry-Timeline/
http://tinyurl.com/pnz3wn6
Maturity
Trials
Early
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8. ACTORS/STAKEHOLDERS
Overview of the Game Industry in Thailand
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9. Actors/Stakeholders
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10. Developers (Overview)
• Industry started in 2000
• Virtually all of the Early Game Development Studios
were self-funded
• Huge Expansion during 2011-Present
– Open Publishing Platforms
– Lower Cost of Entry
– Seed Funding/Incubators/Investors
– Foreign Investment
– Increased Acceptance by Society
• Most Studios are small in size (less than 10 people)
focused on creating original IPs on Mobile Platform
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11. Developers
• Industry started in 2000
• Virtually all of the Early Game Development
Studios were self-funded
• Huge Expansion during 2011-Present
– Open Publishing Platforms
– Lower Cost of Entry
– Seed Funding/Incubators/Investors
– Foreign Investment
– Expanding Game Market
– Increased Acceptance by Society
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12. Developers
• Currently most Studios are small in size (less
than 10 people) and focused on creating
original IPs on Mobile Platform
• Different Developers have different focus,
leading to products on different platforms and
services provided
• Strong entrepreneur spirit, more experienced
developers have a tendency to start their own
company
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13. Developers
• Thai Developer have a good record in
developing hits and original IPs over the years
– Juice Cubes
– Unblock Me
– Candy Meleon
– Jigsaw Mansion
– Glow Hockey
– Etc.
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14. Publishers
• Traditionally focus on MMOGs
– Ragnarok Online was first major hit
– Influx of imported games (mainly Korean)
• Some Local Publishers Publish Local
Developed MMOGs Games
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15. Publishers
• Currently publishers are entering the Mobile
Publishing sphere
– Many different publishing models are offered
• Microinvestment in Projects
– Some Provide Development/Publishing Platforms
– Publishing process, guidelines, best practices are
still being ironed out
• Potential for increasing collaboration with
local developers
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16. Investors
• Investment in the game development sector is
minimal until about 2010 (Coincide with
Global Game/Startup Culture Boom)
• Foreign and Local Investments in Game
Development Studios is becoming common
– A number of Japanese Companies have created
subsidiaries in Thailand
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17. Investors
• Local Publishers/Investors/Banks have
improved perception of the Game Industry
• Investment from Thai investors comes in many
flavors:
– Seed Funding
– Support Funding
– Investment
– Grants
– Competition Grants
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18. Government
• ICT Ministry and SIPA supports Thai Game
Development
– Thailand Ministry of ICT Awards with Categories in
Entertainment
– Periodical Contests for Seed Funding
– Funding to join Overseas Events (e.g. Games
Connection, GDC, Tokyo Game Show, etc.)
– Business Matching Events
– Funding for Trade Association Events
• Other Notable Agencies – DEP (Department of
Export Promotion), Software Park, TK Park
• Board of Investment (BOI) Incentives available
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19. Associations
Game & Interactive Digital
Entertainment Association
Thai Game Software Industry Association
Thai Digital Entertainment
Content Federation
Thai Animation and Computer
Graphic Association
Software Association of Thailand
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20. Developer Community
• TGDC is the Largest Thai Game Developer
Community (on FB)
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/thaigamepad
• Most discussions in the Local Game Developer Community are done in Thai
• However, most developers are Bilingual (Thai/English)
• Approval are admin-approval
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21. Academic
• Most Major Universities offer Major/Minor in
Game Development
• Game Developers/Association have contacts with
many Universities
• Challenges
– Effectiveness hampered by University Regulations
– Coursework needs realignment with Industry Needs
– Potential for too much dependency on Tools
– Student Attitudes
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22. Media
• Traditional Strong in Print Media
• Online Media surpassing Print Media in
Popularity
• Word of Mouth via social network is an important
media
• E-Sports is increasing in popularity
• G-Square is Thailand’s dedicated gaming channel
(Sadly Closed 2013)
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23. THE GAMERS
Overview of the Game Industry in Thailand
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24. Quick Statistics
• Population: 65,479,453 (2010 Census)
• Major Language: Thai
• Major Consumer of Media, Games, and
Mobile
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25. Thailand Mobile Overview
Post-Paid 6,481,372 7,050,943 7,256,473 7,938,934 9,782,683 10,740,629
Pre-Paid 55,355,792 58,901,370 64,469,827 69,510,532 75,229,728 79,244,232
Total 61,837,164 65,952,313 71,726,300 77,449,466 85,012,411 89,984,861
0
10,000,000
20,000,000
30,000,000
40,000,000
50,000,000
60,000,000
70,000,000
80,000,000
90,000,000
100,000,000
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
NBTC, Thailand, June 25, 2013
Mobile Penetration (131%) (2013 Q2)
85% of Mobile Phones Sold in 2013 are Smart Phones
GfK Retail and Technology Asia 2013
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26. Thailand Internet Usage
Overview
• 60% of Mobile Users Access Internet through Mobile
Device
• 72% of People Under 24 have access to the Internet
• Out of ~22 mil households, only about 1 mil household
have wired Internet
– Internet Cafes traditionally provide Internet connectivity to
the masses but decreasing in significance due to mobile
Internet connectivity
National Statistic Office 2012 Pisal Setthawong © 2014 26

27. Thailand App Market Analysis
App Annie – Intelligence Jul 2013 Pisal Setthawong © 2014 27
Revenue 2M USD 1M USD 3M USD
Download 25M 50M 75M
ARPDL ~0.09 USD ~0.02 USD ~0.04 USD
Monthly Statistics of Thailand App Market (July 2013)
ARPDL - Average Revenue Per Download

28. Thai Gamer Quirks
• Typically avoid paying for Premium games
• Less resistant to paying Games as a Service
• High tendency of migration between F2P
games
• Female Gamers usually pay than Male Gamers
• Vibrant Item Auction Community
• Mobile is the Gaming Device of Choice
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29. Thai Gamer Quirks
• Low ARPDL
• Credit Card Issues
– Lack of Trust in Using Credit Card for Online
Transaction
– Low Credit Card Penetration (~15 Mil Cards)
• Payment Gateways/Game Cards are popular
among gamers
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BOT Report July 2012

30. Thai Gamer Quirks
• Social Media is very popular
– Line (22 Million Accts) 1
– FB (18 Million Accts) 2
• Social Media Users are also heavy consumers
of digital media and games
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1. Line 2014
2. Zocial Inc 2013

31. FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES AND
CHALLENGES OF THE INDUSTRY
Overview of the Game Industry in Thailand
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32. Opportunities
• The Whole ecosystem in Thailand is Now Finally
Complete
– Support from all relevant agencies and units can help
push forward the Industry
• Increased investment both local and abroad
• Increasing maturity of the academic sector in the
production of personnel to the market
• Increasing experience of newly founded Game
Development Studios
• Thais are known to be very creative and artistic
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33. Challenges
• Local Investors and Publishers are relatively
new to the Mobile Ecosystem
• Thai personnel can be very individualized
• Academic may not be supplying the right type
of developer to the gaming industry
• Making the local market more sustainable for
a wider genre/platforms by changing
consumer attitudes
• Increasing Cost
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34. POTENTIAL COLLABORATION
Overview of the Game Industry in Thailand
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35. Potential Collaborations
• Thailand and Japan share many common
characteristics but are also in the same way
quite different
• There are many areas of potential
collaboration
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36. Potential Collaborations
For Developers
• Outsourcing
• Co-Production
• Talent Exchange
• Localization
Publishers
• Publish Games specific
to locale
• Co-Publish Games
• Exchange of Knowledge
about Individual Market
Quirks
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37. Potential Collaborations
• Other Collaborations
– Tradeshows
– Joint Developer Events
– Knowledge Exchange
– Academic Exchange
– Investment in Local Partners
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38. Q&A SESSION
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39. Thank You!
• For additional queries, feel
free to drop me an e-mail
at:
pisal@pigsssgames.com
• I can also be contacted via my
personal page at FB:
https://www.facebook.com/pisal.setthawong
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