CEA promotes 'Content Lab' and 'Music Exchange' to push Thai content and music into the global market

CEA launches flagship projects "Content Lab" and "Music Exchange" to propel Thailand's content and music industries onto the global stage, fostering the future economy, and strengthening the country's creative industries, aiming to transform Thailand into a creative hub for the ASEAN region.

In recent years, Thailand's content and music industry has gained widespread global attention, with success reflected in a variety of series, from mainstream series to Boy Love & Girl Love series, and award-winning Thai films on the international stage, as well as the increasing number of Thai artists performing at world-class music festivals.

These phenomena not only push 'Thai soft power' It is not only international, but also a key driving force for the creative economy and serves as a bridge for foreigners to experience and get to know more about Thainess.

PwC's Global Entertainment & Media (E&M) Outlook 2021-2025 forecasts that by 2568, Thailand's media and entertainment industry will generate total revenue of 601,936 billion baht, representing an average annual growth rate of 4.45%. Meanwhile, Thailand's music industry is also performing well, with revenue of 3,610 billion baht (US$107.7 million), a 6.32% increase from 2022. This makes Thailand the fifth-largest music market in Asia, after Japan, China, South Korea, and India, clearly reinforcing its leading position in the ASEAN region.

Throughout the years The Creative Economy Agency (CEA) and its network of public and private sector partners have collaborated to develop infrastructure and enhance the competitiveness of the Thai content industry. Both in the film, series, animation and music groups through important projects such as “Content Lab” “Music Exchange” To make Thai content and music become products and services that have economic and cultural influence at the international level.

A new era for Thai content: When movies and series are ready to capture the hearts of people around the world

Between 2567 and 2568, the Thai film and TV series industry received significant attention, both in terms of revenue and brand recognition. In 2567, the number of Thai films increased by 15%, generating a total domestic revenue of 2,438 million baht from 54 films released, with more than 8 films earning over 100 million baht. This resulted in Thai films accounting for 54% of the total revenue share of the Thai film industry market value of 4,485 million baht.

Prominent examples include:

• Grandma (How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies): The film grossed over 333 million baht in Thailand and raked in over 1,800 million baht worldwide, particularly in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore and throughout Asia. It is also the first Thai film to make it into the final 15 of the 97th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film.
• Thorn Palace: The film grossed 151 million baht and was screened at several international film festivals, winning the Audience Award / Best Feature Film at the LGBT+ Film Festival Poland 2025.

For 2568, Thai films continue to grow steadily, such as:

• Red Envelope Ghost: Revenue exceeds 100 million baht and wins the Audience Choice Award at the 49th Hong Kong International Film Festival
• A Useful Ghost: generated interest from its release and won the Grand Prize AMI Paris at the 78th Cannes International Film Festival.

Meanwhile, Thai series have also created phenomenal success, especially the series Sueb San Dan, which became the first Thai series to reach number 1 on the Netflix Global Top 10 (Non-English TV) and was in the Top 10 in more than 63 countries worldwide, as well as the series Songkram Song Duen, which held the number 1 spot on Netflix Thailand for 8 weeks and reached number 4 on the Global Top 10 (Non-English Shows) chart in its first week of release.

In addition, the Boy Love & Girl Love series has become another important driving force. SCB EIC predicts that the proportion of BL series to the value of Thai entertainment media production will increase to 3.9% by 2568, representing a total market value of over 4,900 billion baht. The overall Thai entertainment industry is expected to expand by 4.1% in the same year.

Clear examples of success คือ Boy Love Gelboys series Ranked #1 as the most viewed Thai series on China's iQIYI platform andGirl Love Series: Secret of Love Trending at number 1 in several countries, these successes share a common thread: world-class storytelling, acting, and production, and the inclusion of Thai cultural touches, enabling Thai content to powerfully connect with audiences around the world.

Thai Music Wave: Thai music as a cultural export

In 2568, the Thai music industry is on a continuous upward trend. Thai music is not only popular domestically but also exported as a cultural asset and the starting point of the growing Thai Music Wave. Its success is not solely based on sound quality or promotion, but also on Thai artists' courage in creatively blending their cultural roots, lifestyles, and musical diversity.

A prominent example is:

• T-Pop Category : It has become a new category that is gaining international attention due to its melody, vocal power and distinctive concept.
• Female artist MILLI : After making a global splash on the Coachella stage, she went viral again on the Head In The Clouds Los Angeles 2025 stage, teaming up with Buakaw Banchamek to showcase Thai music alongside the art of Muay Thai.
• 4EVE band: Expanding into the US market for the first time after receiving excellent feedback from fans in China and South Korea.
• BUS band because of you i shine : Expanding fan base to the Japanese market
• Indie music: Artists like Phum Viphurit, YONLAPA, KIKI and H 3 F have also gained recognition in the international market.

It's not just contemporary bands that are gaining popularity. Folk music like Morlam is also making a global phenomenon. For example, the Beer Bud band, which combines Morlam with funk, reggae and soul, has created a unique identity and potential for growth in the international market.

Additionally, the expansion of streaming platforms like Spotify and YouTube Music, as well as social media platforms like TikTok, has also been instrumental in enabling Thai artists to directly reach global audiences.

Promote 'Content Lab' and 'Music Exchange' to push Thai content and music into the global market

CEA has launched its flagship projects, "Content Lab" and "Music Exchange," as key mechanisms to propel Thailand's content and music industries onto the global stage, creating a future economy and strengthening the country's creative industries. The goal is to transform Thailand into a creative hub for the ASEAN region.

• Content Lab : Create Thai content for the international market

The Content Lab project focuses on developing personnel in the film, series, and animation industries by organizing four incubation programs for creators to develop knowledge and elevate projects to international standards.

A key activity of the project is the Content Project Market, Thailand's first business matching platform. Over 50 teams from across the country are expected to participate, with 35 selected projects, including films, series, and animations, ready to be presented to investors.

The event will be held from September 10-12, 2568, and is expected to attract over 70 investors, both domestic and international, to further business opportunities and strengthen industrial networks.

• Music Exchange : Push Thai artists onto the international stage

The Music Exchange project is being held for the second year in 2568 in collaboration with the THACCA Music Industry Promotion Subcommittee to support Thai artists and music businesses to expand their markets internationally.

This year, 24 Thai artists received funding to perform at 25 international music festivals in 11 key markets around the world, including the United States, Japan, and South Korea. The program also created business negotiation opportunities for over 40 Thai artists and music businesses, with over 150 negotiations conducted throughout the program. This initiative not only helps artists gain exposure to new markets, but also serves as a key mechanism for driving the Thai Music Wave and tangibly promoting Thailand's soft power on the global stage.

In the future, CEA plans to further expand the scope of its Content Lab and Music Exchange projects to further develop standards and strengthen Thailand's creative ecosystem, enabling Thai artists and creators to thrive sustainably in the global market.

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