Bangkok: The Prime Minister held discussions with Canva to promote Thailand's Creative Economy to the global market. The Thai Prime Minister held discussions with Canva to promote Thailand's creative economy to the global market, highlighting the power of Thai culture and talent to connect creators and SMEs, generate income for the country, and encourage the establishment of legal entities to attract talent to work in Thailand.
According to Thai News Agency, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul visited the headquarters of Canva, a global technology company specializing in visual communications, and held discussions with Cliff Obrecht, co-founder and COO, Willix Halim, CEO of Canva for Southeast Asia, and Pakapol Tangtongchin, Regional Manager (Thailand), regarding collaboration in driving Thailand's creative economy and bringing Thai products to the global market.
The Prime Minister stated that the Creative Economy is one of the target industries the government wants to promote because Thailand has talented personnel, unique identity, and powerful cultural capital that can be leveraged into valuable products, services, and intellectual property in the global market. He believes that global platforms like Canva can help open up opportunities for Thai design and culture to reach users worldwide and transform creativity into tangible income.
Both sides discussed working with local Thai creators and SMEs, promoting the increased inclusion of Thai creator designs, cultural elements, and other works on the platform. This would allow global users to utilize these creations and provide opportunities for Thai creators to earn compensation for their work, thereby channeling revenue from the global market back to Thailand. Canva aims to increase the number of Thai Canva Creators from approximately 190 to 1,000 by 2028.
Canva mentioned its collaboration with Thailand, stating that it works closely with Thai agencies, particularly the Department of Business Development (DBD) and the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa), to develop design, digital, and AI skills for SMEs. This aims to empower entrepreneurs to upgrade their products, packaging, and marketing to compete internationally, as well as expand cooperation in education with the Ministry of Education to provide Thai youth with access to the tools and skills necessary for the modern economy.
The Prime Minister invited Canva to consider registering as a legal entity and expanding its business base in Thailand, as well as bringing more talented individuals from abroad to work alongside Thais. This aims to foster knowledge transfer and develop the technology and creativity ecosystem in the country. He also invited Canva to work closely with the Board of Investment (BOI) on investments and skill development projects to bridge the workforce gap and enhance the capabilities of SMEs.
To achieve the results discussed at this meeting, the BOI will work closely with Canva to promote cooperation in investment, human resource development, and the creation of a creative economy ecosystem in Thailand in a tangible way.