AIS, Techsauce gear up for growth in e-sports market

Alistair David Johnston, AIS’s new managing director, told the summit on Wednesday that the e-sports industry in Thailand is likely to generate more than Bt27 billion this year, and will also help drive the country’s digital economy forward.
He added that as a digital service provider, AIS will work on four key strategies – connect, compete, co-educate and community – to upgrade the Thai gaming and e-sports industry.
“AIS is ready to lead the market in e-sports in Southeast Asia, which is constantly growing and is attractive to businesses,” Johnston said.

Beyond just a game
Oranuch Lertsuwankij, co-founder and CEO of Techsauce, said e-sports brand revenue is currently valued at US$1 billion, with an annual growth rate of 10 per cent. She is calling on companies and stores to not overlook this opportunity, but to join the industry as consumers are now paying more attention to interactive media.
She said interactive media can be used not just for IT products, but also for FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) as well.
“We want to be a bridge connecting both sides to drive the e-sports industry,” she said.

5G to drive industry
Chatchai Khunpitiluck, vice president of the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA), said the digital content market, including game and animation industry, is expected to continue growing especially since people are having to stay at home due to the outbreak. This has resulted in a 20-per-cent increase in online media consumption and also resulted in rising popularity of e-sports.
Research conducted by the department shows that the e-sports industry is likely to grow by an average of 9 per cent from Bt22 billion in 2019 if it gets constant support from the government. The market was valued at Bt24 billion this year and is expected to expand further until yearend.
“We found that up to 70 per cent of young people play games on a wireless device. Therefore, the government’s role is to ensure the infrastructure is ready for a 5G network,” Chatchai said.

Change of social mindset
Santi Lohtong, president of the E-Sports Association of Thailand, said Thailand’s e-sports industry is growing slowly compared to neighbouring countries, and one of the biggest obstacles is the negative mindset Thai society has toward e-gaming. He said the association has tried to change the image of e-gaming and is also promoting nutrition and exercise in line with sports science principles.
Santi said the E-sports Association of Thailand wants to create professional athletes who can compete at the global level.