The People's Party initiated a discussion on the draft Game Industry Promotion Act before submitting it to parliament, aiming to unlock the potential of Thailand's creative economy and position the country as the number one game hub in ASEAN.
On 18 July 2026 GMT+7, the Culture and Creative Economy wing of the People's Party held a subgroup meeting to gather opinions on the draft Game Industry Promotion Act proposed by the party at the Glowfish Sathorn restaurant in Bangkok. The meeting featured Mr. Isariya Paireepairit, a party-list Member of Parliament (MP), and Mr. Purivut Jaisamran, an MP for Bangkok, representing the party to present the key points of the draft law in preparation for its future submission to parliamentary consideration.
The meeting included over 30 representatives from associations and networks within the game industry, covering four main groups of the industry ecosystem: game publishers and distributors, game developers, consumers and gamers, and the e-sports network.
The ultimate goal of this draft law is to establish Thailand as the first "World Class Game Industry" in Southeast Asia, transforming previously lost revenue into a sustainable new economic system driven by five main strategies.
1. Promoting creators (developers and intellectual property) by revising educational curricula to cultivate new developers and supporting research funding to propel Thai intellectual property into the global market.
2. Elevating e-sports through the creation of nationwide e-sport hubs, supporting national league competitions, and raising societal awareness of the economic opportunities within the game industry.
3. Protecting professional standards by enforcing fair employment contracts, establishing a registration system to screen professional quality, and supporting the formation of related professional associations.
4. Supporting funding through the establishment of a fund to aid entrepreneurs, develop personnel, expand distribution markets, and promote innovation.
5. Protecting consumers by implementing self-regulation measures to classify appropriate game content, alongside mandating that payment systems operate through licensed service providers to create a safe environment for youth and mitigate financial risks.
At the meeting, participants collectively reflected on key obstacles hindering the growth of Thailand's game industry, including a lack of clear policy support, funding infrastructure, and certain legal constraints. They agreed that Thailand needs legislation that genuinely enhances the capabilities of industry workers rather than focusing on control or restrictive frameworks as in the past.
Additionally, attendees offered further suggestions on the draft law concerning consumer protection, support for independent developers, and systematizing the e-sports industry. The Culture and Creative Economy wing of the People's Party will compile these insights, recommendations, and in-depth information from the discussion to refine the draft Game Industry Promotion Act, ensuring it best meets the needs of industry workers before advancing it to parliamentary consideration as a key to unlocking Thailand's creative economic potential.
