Thailand must shift from IP creation to commercialisation to monetise creative economy, the World Bank says
As Thailand seeks to capitalise on its creative industries, the World Bank Group has advised the country to overhaul its approach. To unlock sustainable economic growth, policy must pivot from merely generating creative intellectual property (IP) towards establishing commercial infrastructure capable of generating steady revenues, attracting private investment, and scaling business value globally.
The recommendations were presented during “Creativity as Capital: Driving the Next Growth Frontier”, an official affiliated event of the 2026 IMF–World Bank Group Annual Meetings in Bangkok, co-hosted by Thailand’s Creative Economy Agency (CEA) and Netflix.
Denis Medvedev, Global Director for Trade, Competition, and Business at the World Bank Group, highlighted three strategic shifts required to unlock the sector's economic potential as follows:
- Commercialise IP: Move beyond creating IP for its own sake to building robust systems that monetise, raise capital for, and build value around original assets.
- Strengthen Global Links: Connect domestic creators to international markets through stronger networks, distributors, and platform partnerships.
“The crucial role for the public sector is to build efficient markets and institutions that reduce investment risks and instil confidence in private capital,” Medvedev told the meeting.
“Turning creativity into commercial intellectual property creates resilient growth, broadens employment, and positions the creative economy as a long-term engine for the nation.”
A potential 3 million jobs by 2040
The World Bank estimates that if Thailand elevates the productivity of its content sector closer to levels seen in South Korea, the creative sector could generate up to 3 million formal jobs by 2040, lifting its contribution to around 5.6% of national gross value added (GVA).
Thailand’s broader creative sector is currently valued at roughly 1.7 trillion baht (US$49.3 billion), which represents 10.8 per cent of national GVA. However, formal employment in core creative industries sits at just 2 per cent, revealing substantial room for growth, particularly for young professionals entering the workforce.
While Thailand’s creative goods exports reached 283 billion baht (US$8.2 billion) in 2024—more than double the level from two decades prior, more than $5.4 billion remains concentrated in traditional jewellery and gems. The World Bank identified digital content and creative services as high-growth areas where technology can eliminate geographical barriers and allow Thai creators to access global consumers.
Pimjai Leeissaranukul, board member acting as chairperson of CEA, confirmed that the agency is preparing its Thailand Creative Economy Action Plan 2028–2032. The plan focuses on four key pillars, namely pushing high-potential content into international markets, maximising IP commercialisation and business scaling capabilities, upskilling talent alongside advanced digital tech and AI, and expanding creative economy initiatives across regional Thailand.
In the current action plan, the joint initiative between the CEA and Netflix exemplifies the strategic transition from “Creativity as Culture” to “Creativity as Capital”. A key example is the original drama series “The Evil Lawyer”, which originated in the CEA Content Lab 2023 pitch event and was subsequently picked up by Netflix for global production and distribution.
