Thailand’s digital minister is pushing ahead with a bill to promote the game industry and may expand its scope to include board games and trading cards to better reflect the current industry.
Chaichanok Chidchob, Minister of Digital Economy and Society, gave an update on the draft Promotion of the Game Industry Act, saying he had appointed a team to review and revise its details.
He said the original draft focused too heavily on regulation and control rather than industry promotion, while some provisions did not cover current business models and related industries.
Chaichanok wants the bill to make concrete progress within 2026 but has not set a deadline for completing the revised draft. He acknowledged that he had not yet followed up with the team since assigning the work and said he would check its progress.
The minister said the original draft lacked detail in several areas, including the definition of “game”. He questioned whether the term should cover only video games or extend to board games, trading cards and other activities connected to the industry.
He said a broader definition would allow the law to support existing business models and establish fair rules for Thai operators.
Another priority is adding intellectual property provisions to the law. Chaichanok said Thailand needs to build and develop strong Thai IP if it wants to promote the domestic game industry, including by drawing on the country’s culture, content and identity.
He cited Japan and China as examples of countries that have turned cartoons and characters into games and built large user bases.
Chaichanok said the new law should balance regulation with industry promotion. He pointed to Thailand’s programmers, gamers and game developers but said the country still relies largely on imported products.
He added that some talented Thais choose to work abroad because the domestic environment does not yet provide enough support for the industry to grow.
Chaichanok became Minister of Digital Economy and Society in September 2025 and continued in the role under the second Anutin Cabinet. He is the eldest son of Buriram political figure Newin Chidchob and founded Buriram United Esports.
The game bill, drafted by the Digital Economy Promotion Agency, has been under development for more than a year and aims to establish a central framework for Thailand’s gaming industry.
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