Live commerce is no longer new or revolutionary in Thailand, having entered the market in 2016. However, AI-powered live commerce is still in its infancy here. In contrast, China has fully embraced AI-driven live selling, making it an integral part of social commerce. Platforms such as Douyin (TikTok), Taobao (Alibaba), and Xiaohongshu (Red) now feature AI avatars streaming 24/7, selling everything from toothpicks to SUVs while engaging audiences of all ages.
Thailand’s live commerce market is growing steadily, albeit on a smaller scale. While nowhere near China’s size, it continues to expand at a double-digit rate each year. According to Statista, Thailand’s live commerce transactions are expected to surpass 1 billion USD next year.
Revenue of social commerce in Thailand from 2021 to 2024 with a forecast until 2029 (in billion U.S. dollars)
In February 2025, I was invited to China by a leading platform to visit five of the country’s top livestreaming social commerce companies—each generating a minimum of 1 billion yuan in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) per year, with some approaching 10 billion yuan annually. Together, these five companies alone surpass the entire Thai live commerce market. The takeaway? China’s ecosystem is at least five years ahead of Thailand and Southeast Asia. AI avatars are now a standard feature, supporting operations in various ways—from AI filters that enhance appearances to customisable avatars with multilingual voices and distinct personalities. Some AI avatars can even walk around a virtual living room, selling furniture in real time.
Thailand’s foray into AI live commerce only began in late 2024. In Q4 2024, AnyMind Thailand launched its first AI avatar in partnership with Evian Water, achieving a 90% cost reduction compared to human-led livestreaming. Traditional livestreaming incurs costs for hosts, production teams, makeup, props, and other resources—expenses that quickly add up for brands running daily livestreams. Despite this, human-led sessions still generate higher revenue per hour. The optimal approach? A hybrid model: using human livestreams during peak hours (6-10 PM) and AI live streaming for the remaining 20 hours, ensuring round-the-clock customer engagement.
Challenges and Considerations
AI-driven live commerce is not without its challenges. AI models rely on human-programmed scripts and keyword prompts, meaning the quality of interaction is only as good as the input provided. Moreover, platforms like Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok require approval before AI livestreaming is permitted, and failure to adhere to community guidelines could result in channel removal.
Another challenge is language adaptation. Thai is a tonal language with five distinct tones, making it difficult for AI to sound natural. Without careful tuning, AI livestreams may sound robotic. To address transparency concerns, AnyMind Thailand added an “AI Live” sticker to the Evian campaign, ensuring audiences were aware of the AI-driven nature of the session.
So, Is Thailand Ready?
The short answer: it’s only a matter of time. AI-driven live commerce is arriving sooner than expected, and it’s here to stay. During my recent visit to China, I had an ‘AHA’ moment—China’s e-commerce dominance is not just due to its 1.4 billion consumers, but also because of strong government policies that foster trust in online shopping. For instance, China mandates that all e-commerce platforms allow product returns and refunds, instilling confidence in buyers and driving sales volume.
Could Thailand replicate this success? It would require robust government support to build an equally competitive ecosystem. While Thailand’s AI live commerce journey has just begun, one thing is clear: brands that adopt AI now will gain a head start in the digital shopping revolution.
Written by: "X" Siwat Vilassakdanont, Managing Director, AnyMind Thailand & Philippines AnyMind is an AI-powered marketing tech company with offices in 15 countries across Asia-Pacific. (anymindgroup.com)