Thailand hopeful as regional hub for game business

By Digital Media

BANGKOK, Jan 11 – Thailand is pushing hard to become Southeast Asia’s hub of interactive entertainment given a surge in domestic game industry to a marketing value of Bt13 billion, a senior official said today.

Anudith Nakornthap, Information and Technology Communication minister said the sales of computer games alone worth Bt5 billion and it should increase by 10 per cent this year.

In his speech at the launch of the 7th Thailand’s Games Show at Bitec Bang-na in suburban Bangkok, he predicted a much larger number of manufacturers and consumers in the game business when the region is tightly integrated as the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015.

The event, held until Sunday, is jointly organised by the state-run Software Industry Promotion Agency and the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

Mr Anudith said the promotion of local software industry, particularly animated films, will help push the private sector into the ASEAN film market, adding that the Board of Investment has offered promotional privileges and tax preferences to the industry.

Regarding violence among youngsters as consequences of virtual games, the minister said games have been clearly classified for children and adults but parents should keep a close watch on their children to avoid undesirable problems. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2013-01-11

They are just children, at heart!

Why don't they just name it "Thailand, Hub of Everything". Would save a lot of time and marketing dollars.

Edited January 11, 201313 yr by mcnad

Ironically Thailand could well have been the actual hubs for so many of the things for which they will in fact never be a hub. A poor shortsighted and no English education policy is largely to blame, add in poor government policy in so many areas and the lost reality just becomes idiot soundbites for equalilly idiotic bureaucrats and politicians. But hey, isn't a good soundbite and your picture in the paper better, cheaper and easier than reality? Plus you get to keep the population dumbed down and accepting of every edict handed out and silent on massive corruption. That aside only we here laugh at the stupidity and we don't vote, so what does it matter?

Ironically Thailand could well have been the actual hubs for so many of the things for which they will in fact never be a hub. A poor shortsighted and no English education policy is largely to blame, add in poor government policy in so many areas and the lost reality just becomes idiot soundbites for equalilly idiotic bureaucrats and politicians. But hey, isn't a good soundbite and your picture in the paper better, cheaper and easier than reality? Plus you get to keep the population dumbed down and accepting of every edict handed out and silent on massive corruption. That aside only we here laugh at the stupidity and we don't vote, so what does it matter?

LOL! Thailand the hub of sound bites! Good one.

Thailand, the hub of no hubs.

Hey c'mon guys we all know already this is the hub of gamers- at least in Parliament...

Hubba! Hubba!

There's no way Thailand will beat out South Korea to become the hub of gamers. Those kids in South Korea mean business!

There's no way Thailand will beat out South Korea to become the hub of gamers. Those kids in South Korea mean business!

Korea is not in Southeastasia

WOW !!!!! Another hub..... AMAZING THIS COUNTRY...

Another week ... Another hub.