MEDIA-I: Thailand shows strong internet ad growth spurt

BANGKOK: Despite the moribund figures from most of the world,

online ad space seller TopSpace said Thailand's online advertising scene

is still growing wildly.

Glen Poff, vice-president of operations at TopSpace's parent MWeb

Thailand, said Thailand's online ad business nearly doubled over the

last year as Thai marketers and ad agencies began to take advantage of

the internet as a marketing tool.

Over the last 12 months, Poff said advertisers in Thailand spent about

80 million baht (USdollars 1.8 million) on online ads and sponsorships,

doubling the 30-40 million baht spent in the same period the year

before. Large multinationals made up the bulk of local online ad

spending, with Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Procter & Gamble and Unilever taking

the lead. Heavy Thai advertisers include wireless operator rivals TAC

and AIS.

Most of the online spending went towards brand building, increasing

traffic and positioning, with only a small amount going directly towards

sales or encouraging purchases, Poff said. A TopSpace survey of

companies that advertise online found that these companies allocate an

average of 250,000 to 300,000 baht a month to internet ads, with many

planning to increase that figure to at least one million baht a month.