Rapid Assessment for Resilient Recovery and ... - GFDRR

Sector Context
The telecommunications sector in Thailand is dominated by mobile communications.
Mobile use has steadily increased, with 75,572,336 subscribers in 2011, while the number of
fixed line subscribers in Thailand has seen a decline with 6,884,668 subscribers in 2011.
The mobile market in Thailand is dominated by three private operators – AIS, DTAC and
TRUE. In the 3rd Quarter of 2011, AIS, DTAC and TRUE are commanding a combined 98
percent market share of 75,572,336 subscribers. According to their 2010 annual reports,
the revenue of the mobile market held by AIS (THB 102.5 billion), DTAC (THB 67.9 billion)
and True (THB 62.4 billion) added up to nearly THB 232 billion. About 52 percent of the
distribution of fixed line subscribers is concentrated in the metropolitan areas, with the rest
distributed across rural areas. About 53 percent are also subscribed to broadband internet
services in 2011 as compared to 36 percent in 2009 and 46 percent in 2010. True is the
largest private Internet Service Provider in Thailand, with a broadband and dial-up subscriber
base of 1.9 million subscribers.
Telecom of Thailand (TOT) offers leased line/circuit services with countrywide coverage,
in addition to the DSL ports that could be subscribed with its fixed-voice landlines. Its
customers consist of private businesses, government agencies, and other telecommunication
service providers. CAT operates Thailand’s international telecommunications
infrastructure and also provides data communications and applications services, including
leased circuits, predominantly to businesses, including to the other internet service providers
for access to the international networks.
The National Broadcast and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) is the organization
in charge of regulating telecommunications and broadcasting services in Thailand.
Television is the most popular medium in Thailand having an estimated household
penetration of 98 percent. Up to 8.7 million households receive TV via terrestrial broadcast
and 4.8 million households via satellite. The advertisement revenue of non-paid TV in
2010 was THB 61 billion.
Thailand has six terrestrial TV stations based in Bangkok with repeaters across the country.
Channel 3, which has 32 relay broadcast stations, has annual revenues of THB 11.9
billion, according to its 2010 annual report, with advertising income representing about 93
percent of the total revenue. Channel 5 had regional networks, with more than 30 stations
across the country broadcasting programs from the Bangkok Central station by a satellite
system. Channel 7 installed its first ground network station in the provinces and expanded
the facility to comprise 35 stations. The Mass Communications Organization of Thailand
(MCOT) (Channel 9) broadcasts from the host station in Bangkok to its 36 local network
stations nationwide and through 62 radio stations nationwide. MCOT’s 2010 annual report
indicated revenues of THB 5.6 billion for that year, with about 67 percent coming from
television.
Cable and satellite television penetration in Thailand was 48.1 percent in 2010. Almost 2
million households receive TV via TRUE Cable and 3.7 million households via local cable
providers. According to their 2010 annual report, the revenue of the True Visions Group of
companies was THB 9.4 billion in 2009, and THB 9.5 billion in 2010.
128 THAI FLOOD 2011 RAPID ASSESSMENT FOR RESILIENT RECOVERY AND RECONSTRUCTION PLANNING