Local internet users spent less time on the internet and social media and made less purchases online as life returns to normal after the pandemic, according to the "Digital 2023: Thailand" study.
The study is part of the "Digital 2023 Global Overview" report produced by Datareportal.com in partnership with creative agency We Are Social and media monitoring and social listening platform Meltwater.
Thai internet users aged 16-64 spent an average of 8.06 hours a day on the internet, a decline of 1 hour year-on-year, based on the report's survey for January 2023.
They spent 5.05 hours a day using the internet on mobile phones and 3.01 hours a day on computers and tablets. They spent 2.44 hours a day on social media, a drop of 15 minutes year-on-year.
Thai engagement with online shopping also declined. The report found 66.8% of respondents purchased a product or service online each week, a decrease of 2.2% year-on-year.
The report estimated 61.2 million internet users in Thailand in January, with an internet penetration rate of 85.3% of the total population.
There were 101 million mobile connections at the start of 2023, equivalent to 141% of the total population.
Finding information was the top reason for using the internet, followed by keeping up-to-date with news and events and watching videos, TV shows or movies, according to the study.
Facebook was the most popular social media platform in Thailand last month, followed by TikTok and Line.
Facebook had 48.1 million potential Thai viewers that marketers can reach with ads, a decline of 3.9% year-on-year.
According to the report, 30.5% of Thai internet users aged 16-64 used a banking, investment or insurance website or app each month.
Some 21.9% of Thai internet users aged 16-64 owned some form of cryptocurrency in January, the fourth-largest percentage in the world, behind Turkey, Argentina and the Philippines.
In related news, Facebook parent Meta recently highlighted seven social media trends that will shape Thai business in 2023.
The first trend is artificial intelligence (AI), with generative AI having a breakthrough moment at the end of last year.
"AI is becoming more mainstream as the technology continues to advance and its capabilities expand," said Prae Dumrongmongcolgul, country director of Facebook Thailand.
"As a result, a wider range of products and services are now incorporating AI, such as smart home devices, self-driving cars and virtual assistants."
The second trend involves business messaging.
"Business messaging unlocks new opportunities for businesses and customers, with a recent survey showing 76% of Thais prefer messaging with a business, while 78% of people in Thailand say they already message a business at least once a week," she said.
The third trend concerns cross-border shopping. Ms Prae said by 2026, it is estimated global cross-border e-commerce will total US$2.2 trillion, a compound annual growth rate of 17% from 2019.
Virtual and augmented reality is another trend as businesses embraced the technology last year to enhance the customer experience, building creative and immersive ways for consumers to connect with their brand, she said.
The fifth trend involves creators as 51% of surveyed cross-border shoppers cited creators as a top source of information to discover and evaluate products.
For the last two, Ms Prae said digital shopping habits formed during the pandemic continue to be relevant, while short-form videos are gaining in popularity.
"Video continues its blistering growth across the internet and on Meta platforms," she said. "This includes Reels, which continues to grow quickly across our apps -- both in production and consumption."
