5 Influential trends in Thailand's E-commerce 2025

Thanawat Malabuppha, Co-founder and CEO of Priceza analyzed the e-commerce market in Southeast Asia from 2022 to 2024, highlighting sustained growth.

The market is valued at THB5.56 trillion in 2024, with Thailand ranking second, holding a 16.4% share. Projections indicate the regional market will continue expanding, reaching 13 trillion baht by 2030.

Thailand’s e-commerce market is expected to grow from 1 trillion baht in 2024 to 2 trillion baht by 2030.

Here is a summary of the five trends for Thailand's E-Commerce in 2025. Thanawat discussed these trends during Priceza's Thailand E-Commerce Trends 2025 event at SCBX NEXT TECH on January 21, 2025.

Trend 1: The Rise of Affiliate Commerce

Affiliate Commerce is emerging as a new driving force for Thailand’s e-commerce growth in 2025.

The influence of Affiliators & Influencers is reshaping the Thai e-commerce landscape, with data revealing that 9 million Thais are content creators. Notably, 83% of Thai consumers admit to purchasing products/services based on influencer recommendations, making Affiliate Marketing a crucial sales channel.

This trend is fueled by the 3C Model, proving in 2024 that quality content directly impacts sales. Effective content can drive conversions, measurable through Affiliate Commerce, where brands leverage top-tier content creators to boost sales. In 2025, brands will aggressively compete to secure talented creators as key partners.

Affiliate Commerce in 2025 will no longer be limited to international e-marketplaces like Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Affiliate, signaling a broader shift in e-commerce strategies.Trend 2: Competition in Thailand E-Commerce is Heating Up!

Thailand’s e-commerce market is becoming increasingly competitive, with global sellers entering the space and intensifying the rivalry. The key factors driving Thai consumers to shop online in 2025 are coupons, discounts, and free shipping, as they prioritize value and affordability. As a result, online sellers can no longer avoid competition, as international players continue to flood the market.

It is estimated that platforms like Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok in Thailand now host around 3 million sellers and offer over 300 million products. A significant portion of these sellers come from China, where businesses have shifted from relying on local distributors to directly competing through their own Brand Official Stores.

A major regulatory change has further intensified the competition. As of December 16, 2024, Thailand now allows foreign sellers to ship products priced under 1,500 baht directly to Thai consumers without import duties. Announced by the Ministry of Finance, this tax exemption provides Chinese and other international sellers with a substantial cost advantage over local businesses. Moreover, foreign sellers are not required to comply with Thai product certification standards, such as TISI (Thai Industrial Standards) and FDA approvals, making it easier for them to penetrate the market.Trend 3: E-Commerce Listening

E-commerce listening is emerging as a crucial tool for Thai businesses to navigate the increasingly competitive e-commerce landscape. With intense rivalry between Chinese sellers and Thai distributors, leveraging E-Commerce Listening allows businesses to monitor competitors, track pricing strategies, and analyze sales data to stay ahead.

For instance, data from Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok shows that official Chinese sellers can offer products at prices up to 30% lower than Thai distributors. As a result, they dominate market share, capturing up to 95% of sales in certain product categories, according to Etailligence data as of January 10, 2025.

E-Commerce Listening provides valuable insights that were previously based on guesswork. By utilizing data-driven tools, online sellers can gain a deeper understanding of customer behaviour, analyze competitors effectively, and develop precise sales and marketing strategies. Additionally, this approach helps businesses identify new product opportunities, generate innovative market ideas, and stay ahead of emerging e-commerce trends.

Trend 4: E-Commerce Business Model Evolution

As competition in the e-commerce market intensifies, businesses are evolving their models to find new growth opportunities in 2025.

A decade ago, in 2015, the market was dominated by the traditional Marketplace model, where sellers operated their own stores and managed marketing, with platforms earning revenue from transaction fees. By 2025, as the market has surpassed one trillion baht, competition has increased significantly, leading to the emergence of new business models.

One such model is the Vertical Marketplace, which focuses on specific product categories. For example, NocNoc and HomePro specialize in home & living, while Central and Konvy cater to fashion & beauty.

Another disruptive model is Consignment Selling, where platforms handle inventory and marketing. In 2024, Temu entered the Thai market with a direct-to-factory bulk purchasing approach, offering lower prices and shaking up competition. In response, Shopee and Lazada launched their own versions, known as "Choice", encouraging sellers to consign products to their warehouses while the platform manages pricing and marketing to boost sales.

Meanwhile, major Thai retailers are shifting towards their Own Mobile Applications or Brand.com Channels. Rising fees from Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok, along with increasing costs to participate in platform-wide sales campaigns, have prompted retailers to focus on direct-to-consumer (DTC) strategies. By driving purchases through their own apps, brands can avoid marketplace fees, gain full customer data, and strengthen long-term CRM strategies.

Trends 5: Fast Delivery Like a Devil!

2025 is expected to be the year of ultra-fast deliveries, as consumers today are increasingly impatient and unwilling to wait long for their orders. Sellers who can deliver quickly, often within a day, will have a competitive edge.

As retail businesses adapt, the main strategy is On-Demand Delivery from local branches. Leveraging their extensive networks of physical stores across the country, companies like 7-Eleven Delivery, Lotus’s Online, Makro Pro, Tops, and BigC are now offering fast delivery services to customers on the same day.

In the IT retail sector, brands like BANANA, Advice, and JIB are differentiating themselves by providing delivery within 1-3 hours when customers order directly from their websites, even though these companies also sell on platforms like Marketplaces.

" We are entering an era where consumers have become accustomed to speedy services, and they no longer have the patience to wait for deliveries. This will drive fierce competition in the Thai e-commerce market in 2025, where players will compete to deliver goods faster than ever before. Even Shopee has launched Shopee Express Delivery, using Shopee Food riders for on-demand delivery, although this service isn’t yet available in all areas. We believe that Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok will continue to push their sellers to prioritize speed, rewarding stores that pack and ship orders quickly to gain better sales."

Chayanit Samsuk from SCB EIC shared that the Thai retail business is expected to continue growing, supported by government economic stimulus policies, despite various risks. The Thai retail market is estimated to reach 4 trillion baht in 2024 and is expected to grow by 5.1% in 2025, reaching 4.21 trillion baht.

As for the Thai e-commerce market, it is projected to be worth 1 trillion baht in 2024, accounting for 25% of the country's overall retail market.

(2025/02/03-00:00)