Gaming in Thailand is a rapidly growing industry and has a significant influence on the country’s economy. Thanks to an increase in internet access, the popularity of mobile devices and a growing number of gamers, the video game market in Thailand is set to become one of the largest in Southeast Asia. The local government is also actively supporting the industry, creating favorable conditions for esports and game developers.
Key statistics
Thailand is one of the ten largest video game markets in Asia. The industry owes its success to both international companies and local developers who create content adapted for local customers.
Here is some information about the gaming industry in Thailand:
- The gaming industry revenue is projected to reach $2,372 million (USD) in 2025.
- The annual revenue growth rate (CAGR 2025–2029) is expected to reach 7.09%, resulting in a projected market volume of $3,120 million (USD) by 2029.
- However, the Thai industry is still far from being the international leader in terms of revenue. Revenue in the USA is expected to reach $141.80 billion (USD) in 2025.
- The Thai market is expected to reach 10.8 million players by 2029.
- Moreover, the average revenue per user (ARPU) in Thailand is estimated to reach $1,005 (USD).
According to the latest data, over 30 million people in Thailand play video games, which accounts for almost half the country’s population. The majority of players are young people between 16 and 35, of which 61% are men and 39% are women. However, these player ratios change based on the game genre, as women make up a larger percentage of casual game players (56%).
Mobile games are particularly popular, accounting for 69% of the total market share. The average Thai gamer spends 1–2 hours per day playing games. The industry’s success also owes a great deal to the rise of online streaming platforms, such as YouTube Gaming and Facebook Gaming, where popular local streamers attract hundreds of thousands of viewers.
Some popular online streamers in Thailand are NongTV and UDiEX2. This also leads to increasing video game popularity and industry growth.
What Thailand plays
Players from Thailand enjoy a wide range of genres, but the most popular are:
- MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) — League of Legends, Dota 2, Mobile Legends.
Mobile Legends. Source
- Shooters (FPS/TPS) — PUBG, Free Fire, Call of Duty: Mobile.
Call of Duty: Mobile. Source
- RPGs and MMORPGs — Genshin Impact, Ragnarok Online, Lineage 2
Genshin Impact. Source
- Simulation and strategy games — Clash of Clans, Civilization, The Sims.
Clash of Clans. Source
- Casual and hypercasual games — mobile puzzles, endless runner games and card games.
Thailand has several companies who make games in these genres: PIGSSS GAMES, Playlab Games, Virtual Realms, Yggdrazil Group. But not a single local game makes the list of Thailand‘s most popular games, at least as far as mobile games are concerned.
Esports in Thailand
Esports is a rapidly growing industry in Thailand. There are already tournaments for popular games, and local players enjoy great success on the international stage.
Large-scale tournaments:
- ESL One Bangkok 2024. A Dota 2 tournament with a prize pool of $1,000,000 was held in Bangkok from December 9 to December 15, 2024. 12 teams took part in the competition, including the biggest teams from all over the world.
- Thaiger Uppercut 2024. The annual Tekken 8 tournament was held in Bangkok from October 4 to October 6, 2024 and had a prize pool of ฿200,000.
Famous Thai esport players and teams:
- 23savage — a professional Dota 2 player who competes as a member of OG.
- Team NKT — a famous Thai CS:GO team that is currently rank 89 in the world.
These tournaments and players increase the popularity of esports in Thailand and reinforce its position on the world stage. According to the latest figures, esports industry revenue is projected to reach $2,372 million (USD) in 2025. Annual revenue growth rate (CAGR 2025–2029) is expected to reach 6.46%, resulting in a projected market volume of $31.3 million (USD) by 2029.
Gaming in Thai culture
Games are gradually becoming an essential part of the local culture. Thailand regularly holds gaming exhibitions, festivals and tournaments, such as the Thailand Game Show and Garena World.
Moreover, local companies are actively including national traditions in their game projects. For example, many local games use folklore elements, legends and unique architectural styles.
Here are a few examples:
- Home Sweet Home. A horror game developed by Yggdrazil Group based on local myths and folklore. The game was met with acclaim both in Thailand and abroad.
Home Sweet Home. Source
- The Hunt for Amazing Cultures. An online game sponsored by the Tourism Authority of Thailand and developed by Yggdrazil Group. The aim of the game is to use Thailand‘s traditions, culture and attractions to attract young tourists to the country.
The Hunt for Amazing Cultures. Source
The government is supporting the industry by attracting investment and creating education programs for future developers. The THAI GAME INDUSTRY TO GLOBAL program launched in 2023 to train technically gifted employees so they can join the industry. It also aims to create more opportunities for local game developers so they can expand to the international stage and compete with other companies.
Localizing your game for the Thai customer
Games with high-quality localizations receive significantly more attention and generate far more profit. This is true of all markets, not just the Thai one. Here are some important points to keep in mind:
- The religious context
Buddhism plays an enormous role in Thai society. Take exceptional care when portraying Buddha or other religious symbols, monks and sacred objects. Avoid using them humorously or without careful consideration.
- The royal family
Thai people have a profound respect for the monarchy. Disrespectful images of or references to the royal family may elicit extremely negative reactions and can even have legal repercussions.
Colors should also be used carefully. Yellow, for example, is the color of the King.
- The concept of “saving face”
It is important to avoid direct confrontation and public humiliation at all costs in Thai culture. Keep this in mind when creating game mechanics and plot lines.
- Language and localization
Thai, like Chinese, is a tonal language. It has five tones, which is important to remember when dubbing games to avoid misunderstandings.
Thai has various levels of politeness, especially when talking to others. “คุณ” (khun) is a neutral, respectful way to refer to someone. There are several endings that are used to politely refer to people. ครับ (khráp), for example, is for men, and ค่ะ (khâ) is for women. However, words are shortened and endings are dropped in informal speech, such as when talking to friends, relatives or people younger than the speaker. Complex constructions and the respectful words คุณ (khun, Mr./Mrs.) and ท่าน (thân, a more formal version of “sir”) are used in official language.
It is important to choose the correct level of politeness for every character when localizing a game. For example:
- For friends and NPCs — informal language.
- For players, mentors and quest characters — standard, polite language.
- For important characters of higher status — official language.
Thai is written without spaces, and so special care should be taken when localizing the interface to ensure the Thai text matches the English.
Numbers are another important consideration. Although Arabic numerals are widely understood, Thai numerals (๑, ๒, ๓, etc) may be required in certain situations (in historical games, for example).
INLINGO considers all of these points carefully when localizing games. We work with a variety of languages and a wide range of game engines. Our goal is not simply to translate your game, but also to make it available to players from all over the world. Drop us a message, and we’ll discuss your project.
