Thai Media Landscape 2026: AI in Newsrooms, Short Videos Charm Audiences

Thansettakij•Economy•88d ago

Reader Briefing

The Thai media industry is undergoing a significant transformation in 2026, driven by AI's integration into newsrooms and the dominance of short-form video content, alongside shifts in consumer behavior and the rise of the creator economy.

•AI is now a foundational tool in 100% of surveyed Thai media organizations, impacting newsroom operations and business.
•Short-form video content is highly consumed, with TikTok and YouTube being primary platforms, and a majority of young Thais prefer video to text news.
•The creator economy is expanding, with a focus on micro and nano-influencers, and live commerce generating significant revenue.
•Traditional media like television face declining advertising revenue, while radio sees the end of its mass commercial era.
•The core success factors for sustainable media in 2026 will be quality, credibility, and genuine audience relationships, emphasizing 'humanity' over AI's capabilities.

Overview

•The Thai media is facing significant change as AI moves from experimental to a fundamental tool in newsrooms and business operations.
•100% of surveyed media organizations are using AI in their work processes, with ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude AI being popular tools.
•The introduction of AI Search and Google AI Overview has led to a significant decrease in news website click-through rates (CTR).
•Social media has 56.6 million users in Thailand, representing 79.1% of the population, with user behavior shifting based on content format.
•Nearly two-thirds of Thais aged 18-34 use social media as their primary news source.
•43% of Thais prefer 'watching' online news over 'reading' (32%), making video the standard content format.
•Advertising budget for television is projected to decrease from 31 billion THB in 2025 to 29 billion THB in 2026.
•Tero Radio announced the cessation of its operations after 35 years in business, signaling the end of the mass commercial radio era in 2025.

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Key Entities

Law

Artificial Intelligence(AI)ℹ️

Artificial Intelligence is a fundamental technology impacting Thai media operations and content consumption.

ChatGPTℹ️

ChatGPT is a popular AI tool being utilized by Thai media organizations.

Geminiℹ️

Gemini is a widely adopted AI tool within the Thai media landscape.

Claude AIℹ️

Claude AI is one of the trending AI tools used in Thai media newsrooms.

Google AI Overviewℹ️

Google AI Overview is an AI-powered feature impacting news website traffic.

TikTokℹ️

TikTok is a dominant platform for short-form video content consumption in Thailand.

YouTubeℹ️

YouTube serves as a key platform for video content consumption and podcast listening in Thailand.

Facebookℹ️

Facebook is evolving into a community and engagement platform for Thai users.

LINEℹ️

LINE is transforming from a communication app to a platform for communities and participation in Thailand.

Organization

Tero Radio(เทโร เรดิโอ)

Tero Radio is a former radio broadcaster that announced the cessation of its operations.