The Thai government has called for consideration of regulation and support for influencers

BANGKOK – With the ever-growing popularity of social media and e-commerce attracting more and more people to become influencers, the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) has called on the government to regulate the issue and provide the necessary support to people taking up this emerging career with potentially high economic value .

According to Niesen statistics, there were approximately 13.5 million influencers in the ASEAN region in 2023, and the global revenue from advertising and other channels generated by influencers was approximately $19 billion. Influencers’ contribution to the global economy is expected to grow to $140 billion by 2030, an increase of more than sevenfold.

There are approximately 2 million influencers in Thailand, the second largest number in ASEAN after Indonesia. Danucha PichayananNESDC Secretary General said on Wednesday.

“The number of influencers in Thailand is growing as the profession offers lucrative income and benefits and more consumers use social media to find information from key opinion leaders,” he said. “The government must issue regulatory and supportive legislation for influencers like other countries who are taking this issue seriously.”

NESDC suggested the government establish a registration system for Thai influencers and introduce supportive policies for those in the profession, including the provision of skills training and other career-related assistance.

Having detailed regulations and rights for influencers will also help mitigate the effects in the event of a crisis that has a large-scale impact on influencers’ revenues or employment, Danucha noted.

“Most importantly, the regulations will help prevent influential people from spreading false or unverified news that could cause confusion among the public,” he said.