Live commerce in Thailand has ushered in a new era, marked by a high value of sales transactions within a short period, similar to the landscape in China.
This is driven by the integration of entertainment with online shopping or ‘shoppertainment’ through live-streaming platforms.
However, pundits caution that to ensure sustainability, businesses must focus on product quality and build their own sales channels to gain customer insights, rather than relying solely on individual influencers or third-party platforms.
Singer and influencer Ratchanok ‘Janey’ Suwannaket became the talk of the town after her live-streaming marathon on TikTok shattered records with combined sales of 400 million baht from Oct 9 to 14.
Daily sales peaked at around 557 million baht during the six-day event.
Her model combined performance-based charging, a fun and authentic presentation style, and collaboration with celebrities.
Massive discounts were offered to stimulate engagement among large audiences, encouraging spending and creating sales opportunities for smaller brands.
Similar to China
Kulthirath Pakawachkrilers, president of the Thai e-Commerce Association, told the Bangkok Post the ‘Janey live commerce phenomenon’ was destined to happen, but it arrived later than in China.
Since 2021, live commerce has gradually evolved in Thailand. In China, this trend has been mainstreaming for four to five years.
Top-tier streamers such as Xinba and Li Jiaqi have long generated between 100 million and 200 million yuan in a single session, reaching audiences of up to 99 million followers across platforms like Douyin, Kuaishou and Taobao Live.
‘For Thailand, the adoption curve has been slower. Many brands were uncertain about the true power of live selling, until Ms Ratchanok demonstrated what’s possible,’ said Ms Kulthirath.
‘Her record-breaking live-stream proved Thailand has officially entered the live commerce era.’
Her success is changing how people view live-streamers, showing it is a respected and rewarding career, she said.
On Oct 14 alone, Ms Ratchanok’s live-stream earned more than 100 million baht from 310,000 orders, with an average spend of 322 baht per order.
This matches insights from top TikTok networks, which note that products priced between 300 and 400 baht sell especially well.
What is even more powerful is that Thailand’s new live-stream icons are not only achieving commercial success but also giving back to their communities, said Ms Kulthirath.
This combination of entrepreneurship and social contribution mirrors China’s own ‘live commerce success formula’, where influence and gratitude go hand in hand. ‘Fans don’t just buy products, they buy into purpose, pride and the personalities they love,’ she said.
Hidden costs
Thanawat Malabuppha, chief executive of Priceza and an e-commerce pioneer, said the Ratchanok case is like what happens in China where influencers generate sales worth hundreds of million baht in a short time.
He attributed her success to her large base of 19 million followers and attractive product prices, similar to the cases of other influencers.
The difference is that she brought a number of celebrities to join her live-streaming and this drew their fans to view her streaming, said Mr Thanawat.
Mr Thanawat said using influencers is still important and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to support the live-streaming is just a complement as the influencers cannot be replaced.
Even nano influencers and micro influencers who have 10,000 to 100,000 followers can achieve sales of millions of baht, depending on the creativity of content, product prices and timing.
‘If the content is interesting and generates engagement, the platform’s algorithm will push it to potential audiences who are likely to be interested in the products,’ said Mr Thanawat.
He warns brands should also pay attention to the hidden costs.
On average, around 20% of buyers drop off after changing their minds, and platform fees and commission charges can amount to 20%.
‘The actual profit margin for brands may end up being only around 5-10%,’ he said.
Suvita Charanwong, CEO of influencer platform Tellscore, said Ms Ratchanok’s success has inspired other creators to adopt similar charging strategies – though at more affordable rates.
She added that the new pricing model of influencers is performance based or 1,000 orders per 50,000 baht within five minutes, changing from the previous model of an hour-based charge.
However, Ms Ratchanok’s success is not a phenomenon that can happen overnight but is a result of her fan base building over the past eight years and her sharing of ‘dramatic’ personal stories with fans that deeply connected with them.
This emotional engagement creates a unique shopping experience for viewers, said Ms Suvita.
‘Brands also need to take a long-term view – working with multiple influencers over time and demonstrating consistent success, rather than relying solely on a single individual, while brands can use AI to offload their live session,’ she added.
Thailand has around 9 million influencers, with 3 million earning income from their content. However, few rely on it as their sole source of income.
New opportunity
According to TikTok, the case of Ms Ratchanok, which holds a record-breaking 1.2 million concurrent live views, highlights how platforms can effectively promote local homegrown brands and seamlessly guide consumers from product discovery to final purchase, which in turn drives genuine economic growth.
The success of TikTok’s “Live with a Pinned Basket” model goes far beyond entertainment, highlighting TikTok Shop’s crucial role in elevating local brands and sellers by acting as a powerful economic catalyst.
Ms Ratchanok’s Live session helped promote almost 270 Thai brands and homegrown sellers, demonstrating how a robust ecosystem of creators and celebrities can actively promote local small businesses.
According to TikTok, Ms Ratchanok said she decided to do these Live sessions and saw the possibility of supporting Thai products and making local micro, small and medium sized enterprises more visible to a wider audience.
‘My goal is to use my platform to connect my community with great Thai brands. For any aspiring affiliate creators, my advice is to be authentic, know your product inside and out, and most importantly, be consistent. That is where the community trust comes from.’
The trap
Pathom Indarodom, director of the Digital Council of Thailand, noted that for newcomers to live commerce, live-streaming starts sometimes in silence. Without fame or a loyal fanbase, low viewership often means low sales.
Live-streaming demands stamina, emotional control and constant engagement. Only those with strong skills and solid support can succeed, Mr Pathom said.
While Ms Ratchanok’s success has sparked a wave of imitators, without a distinctive edge, the market quickly becomes saturated. Trends shift fast – what works today may not work tomorrow, he noted.
Platform rules, fees and algorithm changes also affect visibility and sales. Technical issues and order cancellations add more risk.
He added that behind the scenes, there are hidden business costs. If sales fall short, losses and debt can pile up. Not every order means real income, while many young Thais dream of overnight success.
‘But behind the big numbers lies a tough reality – more cautionary tale than guaranteed formula,’ said Mr Pathom.