Mobile Gaming is King – Thailand has the highest percentage of gamers in the Southeast Asia region. Smartphone gaming is by far the most used platform when it comes to gaming. 82 percent of Thailand’s nationals engage in gaming, with the Philippines as a close second at 80 percent. 89 percent of Thais choose to enjoy their video games on their smartphones, far more than on any other platform. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Denmark has the lowest percentage of gamers.
This comes as no surprise given the fact that PCs have a high cost in Thailand. The fact that everyone already owns a mobile device just streamlines things making it the obvious choice. The fact that phones come with free apps is also an important aspect that enforces their choice of mobile gaming.
41 percent of Thais game on their desktop computers or laptops. Tablets hold a decent market share at 28 percent, with consoles coming in last with 15 percent of the population. This pretty much means that Thais elect to game on multiple devices given the percentages presented. When choosing to game on desktop devices, the gamers in Thailand take inspiration from famous streamers. The immense popularity of titles like Dead by Daylight and Among Us can be directly credited to such streamers.
There is another reason that might explain the mobile gaming popularity in Thailand. Back in 2013, an app called Cookie Run took the country by storm. The game maintained huge popularity but ended up being discontinued in October of 2018.
Female Game Just as Much as Men
Another fascinating aspect when it comes to gaming in Thailand is the fact that women partake almost as much as men. Generally, the term “gamer” is more closely associated with males. However, in Thailand, 82 percent of women are gamers. Amongst the male demographic, there is a slight percentage increase of 2. And with women, we see an even higher gap between platforms because 93 percent of Thai women game on mobile.
Back in 2020, there was a movie launched in Thailand that identified the trend and decided to capitalize on it. “Mother Gamer,” tells us the story of a mother who decides to play against her son in an eSports competition in hopes of having him shift his focus on his studies.
While to the Western world, having a “mother gamer” sounds improbable, it appears that it is a common occurrence in Thailand. An impressive percentage, 59, of women over 55 are actively gaming. The massive popularity of gaming brings families together, and there is an increasing trend of people over 60 and gaming. Thai kids are more than willing to teach their grandparents how to play video games.
eSports Market Figures
According to Statista, the Thai gaming market has seen $227 million injected into the country. In 2020, according to Newzoo, there was a steady climb to $250 million. For 2021, both statistical sites predict a flourish on the market. Over the current year, it is scheduled to grow to up to $600 million, making it one of the fastest-growing gaming markets. This is partly due to the economic growth that Thailand has seen in recent years and to COVID-19. COVID-19 has forced Thai people to resort to gaming, given the fact that the country has seen quite some lockdowns.
The impressive increase in gaming revenue has been a result of more companies recognizing Thailand’s potential. For example, GoGawi has recently launched its impressive eSports gambling platform in April 2021. GoGawi is an important player in the global eSports market and will offer Thai gamers a way to wager safely on their favourite games. E-sport-focused betting has seen a massive surge in recent years, and GoGawi aims to offer a safer experience on the Thai market.
Conclusion
Thailand has one of the highest percentages of gamers in the world and the first in Southeast Asia. Based on popular statistics sites, they will only keep on growing. This has attracted various gaming studios and investment companies that are currently investing in this sector. Thailand has a superb landscape that attracts tons of tourists every year, and now it appears that it will start attracting development studios. We hope that the future will also bring more localization support and allow the Thai eSport gamers to participate in international contests. A great step in that direction is the fact that Cyberpunk is rumoured to come with Thai subtitles.
