Modern telecommunications in Thailand began in 1875 with the deployment of the first telegraph service. Historically, the development of telecommunication networks in Thailand were in the hands of the public sector. Government organisations were established to provide telegraph, telephone, radio, and television services, and other government agencies, especially the military, still control a large estate of radio and television spectra. Private telecommunication operators initially acquired concession agreements with state enterprises. For mobile phone services, all the concessions have been amended by successive government to last 25 years have gradually ended in 2015. For other services, the concession terms and conditions vary, ranging from one to fifteen years. Nearly all of the concessions are build-operate-transfer (BTO) contracts. The private investor has to build all the required facilities and transfer them to the state before they can operate or offer services to public.
Public broadcasting involves radio, television, and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing, and commercial financing, and avoid political interference or commercial influence.
ABS-CBN Corporation is a Filipino media company based in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. It is the largest entertainment television production, program syndication provider and media conglomerate in the Philippines. It is a subsidiary of Lopez Holdings Corporation, which is owned by the López family. ABS-CBN was formed by the merger of Alto Broadcasting System (ABS) and Chronicle Broadcasting Network (CBN).
MCOT Public Company Limited, formerly known as the Mass Communication Organization of Thailand, is a Thai state-owned public broadcaster. It owns and operates a number of radio and television stations in Thailand. It is based in Bangkok.
ITV was a television station in Thailand that was owned by iTV Public Company Limited, a unit of Shin Corporation. As Thailand's first UHF channel, the station was started in 1995 when the company was granted a 30-year concession by the Office of the Permanent Secretary to the Prime Minister's Office to operate a free-to-air television station in the Ultra High Frequency (UHF) spectrum at 510-790 MHz. After a lengthy dispute over unpaid concession fees to the Prime Minister's Office, the government's Public Relations Department took over the station in 2007. Its name was changed to Thailand Independent Television (TITV). Following a previously unannounced order of Thailand's Public Relations Department delivered the same day, the station closed on January 15, 2008. In accordance with the Public Broadcasting Service Act B.E.2551(2008), the channel's frequency was assigned to the Thai Public Broadcasting Service.
GMM Grammy Public Company Limited is the largest media conglomerate entertainment company in Thailand. Grammy top artists include Bird Thongchai, Silly Fools, Loso, Tai Orathai, Bie Sukrit, Tata Young, Mos Patiparn, Bodyslam, Getsunova, Joey Boy,... In addition to its music business, the company is involved in concert production, artist management, film and television production and publishing.
Tero Entertainment Public Co. Ltd., formerly known as BEC-Tero Entertainment and World Media Supply is a mass media and entertainment company in Thailand. It organizes and promotes concerts, owns record labels and produces films and television shows. World Media Supply was formed on 12 May 1994 and BEC-Tero Entertainment was formed on March 27, 1998 as a majority-owned subsidiary of BEC World Public Co. Ltd., in a joint venture with Brian L. Marcar,
RS Group is a Thai entertainment and media company formed in 1982. Its core business categories are commerce business and media and entertainment business. The commerce brands are RS Mall and Lifestar Co., Ltd., and the media and entertainment brands are Thai television Channel 8, COOLISM radio station and RS Music.
In Thailand, television broadcasting started on 24 June, 1955. Color telecasts were started in 1967, and full-time color transmissions were launched in 1975. As of November 2020, there are currently 21 digital (DVB-T2) TV channels in Thailand.
Channel 3 HD is a Thailand and Bangkok's first commercial free-to-air television network that was launched on 26 March 1970 as Thailand and Bangkok's first commercial television station. Channel 3 is operated by BEC Multimedia Company Limited ("BECM"), a subsidiary of publicly traded company BEC World Public Company Limited. The network is headquartered in the Maleenont Tower of Bangkok.
National Broadcasting Services of Thailand (NBT) is the public broadcasting arm of the Government Public Relations Department (PRD), a division of the Thai Government. It operates comprehensive media services comprising radio, public television networks, online services and social media.
Channel 9 MCOT HD is a Thai state-owned free-to-air television network launched on 24 June 1955. It is owned by MCOT.
Allen Media Group, alternately known by its former name of Entertainment Studios, Inc. is an American media and entertainment company based in Los Angeles. Owned and founded in 1993 by businessman Byron Allen, the company was initially involved in the production and distribution of first-run television series for U.S. television syndication. Under the Entertainment Studios Networks division, it also operates a group of digital cable and satellite channels, which broadcast a mix of original programs and the company's syndicated content.
Workpoint Entertainment Public Company Limited is a Thai media company. The company and its subsidiaries do business in television production, film making, event management, animation, publishing, event marketing and recording. The company was founded in 1989 by Phanya Nirunkul and Prapas Cholsaranon, and went public on the Stock Exchange of Thailand in 2004. The company, which has been called "the No. 1 TV producer in Thailand" by the Hollywood Reporter, has produced over eighty television programmes, with fifteen programmes broadcast weekly on free television in 2011. Mainly focusing on game shows, Workpoint's first production was Wethi Thong, which was broadcast on Channel 7 from 1989 to 2007. It soon expanded into other genres and has produced variety shows, soap operas, sitcoms, animations and feature films. Its productions include the Asian Television Award-winning Game Jarachon, Fan Pan Tae, Todsagun Kid Game, Lharn Phoo Koo E-Joo and Wittaya Subphayuth. Two of its productions, Lharn Phoo Koo E-Joo and Talok Hok Chak, have also received nominations for the International Emmy Awards.
CTH Public Company Limited (CTH), formerly known as Cable Thai Holding Public Company Limited, was a Thai pay TV operator and Internet broadband services provider.
PPTV, also known as PPTV HD and PPTV HD 36, an acronym for Prasert Prasarttong-Osoth Television) is a digital terrestrial television channel in Thailand, owned by Bangkok Media & Broadcasting Co., Ltd., a company managed by Prasarttong-Osoth, Bangkok Airways and Bangkok Hospital group owner, Prasert Prasarttong-Osoth.
Cignal TV, Inc., also known by its legal trading name Mediascape Inc., is a Filipino media and telecommunications firm in the Philippines. A wholly owned subsidiary of the media company MediaQuest Holdings under the PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund, the firm operates its pay television services, subscription television networks, television and film entertainment production, and fiber broadband internet.
JKN Global Group Public Company Limited is a Thai multinational conglomerate founded by Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip. Its headquarters are in the JKN Empire building in Samut Prakan, Thailand. It comprises numerous businesses in various industries of foods, beverages, content distribution, cosmetics, health products, home shopping, energy drinks, entertainment, events, film, mass media, personal care, television advertisements, and television programs.
Top News is a Thai digital terrestrial, cable and satellite television channel and all-media news agency in Thailand, operated by Top News Digital Media Co., Ltd., founded by Sonthiyan Chuenruthainaitham and consists of many journalists who left Nation TV in November 2020. The channel is often attacked for its ultranationalist stance and inflammatory news coverage, but the channel insists that it offers the truth in every aspect that will lead to the protection of the country's 3 main institutions.
THB 4.62 billion (2024)