Online Casinos Watch Increased Thai Internet Use
Many people take their easy access to the internet for granted. In many countries, getting online is as simple as opening up your laptop or turning on your smartphone. But Internet access hasn’t always been the same throughout the world, due to differences in infrastructure, economics, and general availability. Thai residents — online casino (คาสโนออนไลน์)-goers in particular — are celebrating their country’s trend toward more accessible internet, which makes it much easier to work, play, and relax.
Thailand is becoming more and more connected to the internet lately, with an internet penetration rate of 72% in 2019 according to the Thailand 2020 Statista Country Report. To put that in perspective, they’re ranked 56th in the world, next to Portugal (72%) but behind big Internet markets like the UAE (ranking first at 93.9%) and the United Kingdom (ranked 12th at 90.5%). They rank similarly in term of smartphone penetration rates, with around 78% of Thais projected to use smartphones in 2021.
So, what does all that mean for the average person in Thailand? We’ve unpacked the statistics for a better view of internet accessibility, both now and moving forward. Check out our infographic for an at-a-glance look or read on to dive into more details and see what they mean for the tech industry.
A Growing Tech Market
As more people have access to the internet, the demand for better devices tends to grow alongside it. Like other markets, Thailand has a near-universal demand for smartphone access, making it a 120-billion Thai bat (around 4 billion USD) market in 2019.
Like most the world, Apple and Samsung lead the mobile phone market in Thailand, each accounting for around a quarter of phones sold in the Thai market. The Chinese brand Realme has also been growing in popularity lately, with a 149% YoY growth in Q1 2020. Sales by other manufacturers have stayed largely static.
Smartphones are by far the most in-demand tech in the country, with 94% of adults using a mobile phone. In comparison, only half use a laptop or desktop computer, and a third use a tablet. Smartphones are widely available and convenient, likely leading to their popularity over computers for adults who are on the go.
Internet and App Use
As you see in our infographic, users in Thailand spend an average of 9 hours and 11 minutes accessing the internet from any device. So, what are they doing during that time?
By looking at stats on the share of mobile apps usage in Thailand, we can see that social networking apps and messaging/chat apps, as in most of the world, lead the pack at 97% and 95% respectively.
When it comes to gaming, two thirds of Thai smartphone users have gaming apps of some type, and music, shopping, and video apps are also quite common. That highlights that phones are being used more and more for leisure, not just for work and communication.
For online casinos, that translates into a higher number of users in Thailand, particularly for mobile apps offering online jackpots (รางวลั ออนไลน์). As seen in our infographic, 15% of users prefer online casino and card games. On-land casinos don’t exist in Thailand, so users would have to travel in order to play. Plus, online casinos are much more convenient and let users play their favorite games anywhere, even while traveling.
Using a casino smartphone app is a great way to play all the same games you would on your desktop computer, or even at a live casino. As we’ve seen around the world, the best online casinos (คาสโนออนไลนท์ดทีี่ สุดี่) are gaining lots of popularity and taking a larger portion of the market, so it’s no surprise to see the same trend in Thailand.
Quality Access
As more people get online and have smartphones, the next change will likely be the quality of access. For mobile users, this means the availability of faster mobile networks, particularly 5G. It’s been in the news a lot lately for its superior speeds and increased coverage over previous generation 4G technology.
Unfortunately, 5G isn’t yet widely available in Thailand, with under half a million forecasted subscribers in 2020. But that number is expected to grow, with up to 14 million subscribers by 2025, following worldwide trends.
In order to access the faster internet speeds that 5G boasts, users not only have to join a network that has 5G, but also have to upgrade their device in most cases. Since Apple and Samsung are the country’s most popular brands, Thai smartphones users are fortunate that both companies produce various 5G options, though the price tag is still a bit high. As 5G becomes more common, we can hopefully see the cost of 5G devices become more affordable.
How It Affects the World
Outside of Thailand, you might not think that people would be too concerned with the country’s internet accessibility. However, tech companies are always keeping an eye on trends like these, since it can inform investment and development plans.
In particular, an increased Thai market for technology could lead to more demand for in-language software and services. Chinese and English are common second languages for Thai natives, but there is still a large demand for translated Thai media and applications.
As Thailand becomes more connected to the internet, residents can also be expected to spend more money online. That might lead to some e-commerce companies wanting to adjust their marketing to a Thai audience to capture this emerging market’s attention during the significant time they spend online.
Online casinos may also increase in popularity in Thailand as they have around the world lately. More internet access leads to more people seeking the fun you can find in online casino games, particularly when there are no on-land casinos available nearby.