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.
Digital terrestrial television is a technology for terrestrial television where television stations broadcast television content in a digital format. DTTV is a major technological advance over analog television, and has largely replaced analog television broadcast, which had been in common use since the middle of the 20th century. Test broadcasts began in 1998 with the changeover to DTTV, also known as the Analog Switchoff (ASO) or Digital Switchover (DSO), which began in 2006 and is now complete in many countries. The advantages of digital terrestrial television are similar to those obtained by digitizing platforms such as cable TV, satellite, and telecommunications: more efficient use of radio spectrum bandwidth, provision of more television channels than analog, better quality images, and potentially lower operating costs for broadcasters.
Channel 7 or Channel 7 HD, fully known as Bangkok Broadcasting & Television Company Limited Channel 7, is a Thai state-owned free-to-air television network that was launched on 27 November 1967. It is the first colour television broadcast in Mainland Southeast Asia. It is currently owned by the Royal Thai Army through Bangkok Broadcasting & Television. It is headquartered in Mo Chit, Chatuchak, Bangkok.
Thailand has a well-developed mass media sector, especially by Southeast Asian standards. The Thai government and the military have long exercised considerable control, especially over radio and TV stations. During the governments of Thaksin Shinawatra and the subsequent military-run administration after the 2006 coup and military coup of 2014, the media in Thailand—both domestic and foreign—have suffered from increasing restrictions and censorship, sometimes subtle, sometimes overt.
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.
TrueVisions is the biggest provider of a cable analog television (CAtv) and digital satellite television (DStv) gateway operator’s in Thailand. So, TrueVisions is one of subsidiaries business department of True Corporation. Until February 2007, it was formerly known as United Broadcasting Corporation (UBC), United Television Cable Network (UTV) under MCOT licensed and International Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) under CAT Telecom licensed
The Thai Public Broadcasting Service, or TPBS, is a public broadcasting service in Thailand. It was established by the Thai Public Broadcasting Service Act, BE 2551 (2008), which came into force on 15 January 2008. Under this act, TPBS holds the status of state agency with legal personality, but is not a government agency or state enterprise.
BEC World Public Company Limited is a Thai media conglomerate, best known as the operator of television Channel 3. It was founded in 1990 and listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand in 1995, though the group began doing business in 1967 as Bangkok Entertainment Co., Ltd., now a subsidiary. The business was founded by Vichai Maleenont, and continues to be majorly owned by the Maleenont family, though the company underwent major restructuring in the 2010s in response to major losses following landscape changes in the broadcast industry.
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.
The digital terrestrial television system was launched in Thailand in 2014. it employs DVB-T2 as its digital encoding standard.
True4U is a Thai digital terrestrial television channel owned by True4U Station Company Limited, a unit of TrueVisions, a subsidiary of True Corporation, part of the Charoen Pokphand Group and Telenor. It broadcasts news, entertainment and sport programs. True4U is broadcasting on Thailand digital television platform on channel 24.
There are several sports broadcasting contracts in Thailand.
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.
Thairath TV is a digital terrestrial television channel owned by Triple V Broadcast Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of the news publisher, Thairath, which was owned by Vacharaphol Co., Ltd., launched in April 2014 after they won a digital television broadcast license.
TNN is a Thai satellite, cable and digital terrestrial 24-hour news channel owned by Thai News Network (TNN) Co., Ltd., a unit of TrueVisions, a subsidiary of True Corporation, part of the Charoen Pokphand Group and Telenor, presents news, documentaries and sport news.
Amarin TV, fully known as Amarin TV 34 HD, is a Thai digital terrestrial television channel operated by Amarin Television Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Amarin Corporations PCL, which is an affiliate of the TCC Group. The networks offers a variety of content such as news, entertainment lifestyle, food and variety programs. It was also one of the broadcasting companies which was granted a license to operate on digital television by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission in December 2013.
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.
