As the new year approaches, what are everyone looking forward to? Some may be anticipating new campaigns, products, and services. But for marketers, it's likely anticipating insightful data from We Are Social, a leading platform for social media management.
This year, the platform has already released key online behavior statistics, Thailand Digital Stat Insight 2023. Let's take a look at what changes have occurred in Thailand in the new year and what interesting aspects they are, so we can gather information to develop businesses and lead to new marketing opportunities.
Ready? Let's take a look at the key takeaways.
- Today, development in our world remains concentrated within cities, rather than spreading outwards as was previously believed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This could impact Mega Cities, posing challenges for urban development.
- The global population growth rate has been below 1% since 2021. In Thailand, the population growth rate from the previous year was only 0.2%, resulting in an average age of 40.1 years in 2023. The world is now in an aging society, making it more difficult for marketers to target younger generations compared to older adults with a youthful spirit.
- When averaged per person, Thailand's GDP, or gross domestic product, is almost 700,000 baht, even though in reality, most Thais earn less than 60,000 baht per month. This highlights the significant social inequality.
- Thailand has 85.3% internet access, representing a relatively high level of digitalization compared to other countries. This means businesses may need to quickly invest in opening online sales channels to attract customers and boost sales. However, the average online time Thais spend has decreased from 9 hours and 6 minutes to 8 hours and 6 minutes last year. This prompts marketers to consider ways to ensure their brand remains consistently present.
- On average, 95.3% of mobile phone owners in Thailand use the internet, meaning almost everyone uses the internet at some point. This places Thailand fourth in the world for mobile internet usage. In contrast, Thais use the internet via computers less than the global average, which is 47.6%. Therefore, when marketers create content, they should primarily consider mobile screen size.
- The top 5 reasons Thais go online are: searching for information (57.8%), contacting friends or family (53.7%), following news (50.9%), watching videos, movies, or TV shows (49.7%), and finding information on how to do something (47.6%). Searching for information about products or brands they are interested in is at 43.4%. The top 5 reasons Thais access websites or apps are: chatting (94.8%), using social media (94.6%), searching (Google, 81.8%), online shopping (76%), and viewing maps (55%).
- 34.8% of Thais use photos or upload images to search for information instead of typing, which is higher than the global average of 28.4%. This is because this technology is popular among younger people, especially women, and is commonly used in online shopping and online fashion clothing.
- Over 95.41% of Thais watch TV programs online or via various applications. Furthermore, 36.91% of Thais listen to music online. This means that advertising through various apps can be another crucial channel for reaching target audiences.
- 21.81% of Thais (TP37T) enjoy listening to podcasts, which is slightly higher than the global average of 21.21% (TP37T). Therefore, anyone considering investing in podcasts should carefully consider their target audience and strategy to determine if it's worthwhile.
- Thais rank 4th in the world for gaming. Statistics show that over 92.31% of all internet users play games. This indicates that marketing through esports, or online games, is a primary channel for promoting brands and reaching a large audience.
- The Smart Home (IoT) market in Thailand currently has only 6.7% internet users and a total of 12.9% smart home devices in each household. However, this market has enormous potential for future growth.
- Thais rank 5th in the world for QR code usage, with a high rate of 54.1% for daily payments. Conversely, only 30.5% in Thailand conducts financial transactions online or via mobile apps, including accounting, investments, and insurance purchases.
- Thais rank fourth in the world for cryptocurrency ownership, with a user base of 21.91% (TP37T). However, on average, Thais hold only 2,500 baht worth of cryptocurrency. Similarly, they own NFTs (Non-Floating Devices) worth only 595 baht on average.
- 15.81% of Thais (TP37T) seek medical attention online, using online consultations weekly due to the impact of COVID-19. However, this is still very low compared to the global average of 24.91% (TP37T), indicating significant potential for further growth in this business sector.
- Only 27.31% of Thais (TP37T) are concerned about privacy and the PDPA (Personal Data Protection Act), which is significantly lower than the global average of 32.21% (TP37T). Meanwhile, a significant number of Thais (23.61% (TP37T)) use VPNs to conceal their online identities. Furthermore, Thais rank 9th globally in concern about fake news, accounting for over 62.31% (TP37T).
From this data, it can be seen that the online usage behavior of Thai people has changed, which is consistent with people worldwide. Therefore, if brands or marketers can adapt their strategies using this data, it will help them reach more people. For anyone interested in online marketing...You can contact HelloAds Come on over, full-service online marketing agency!
