YouTube officially launched a dedicated Thai site on Monday to allow video-sharing for Thais, in Thai, on the world's biggest and most popular website of its kind.
Thailand is the 62nd country to get its own YouTube site on the Google-owned property.
The Thailand-dedicated site at www.youtube.co.th means that searching Thai video clips will be simpler, and brand owners can communicate more easily with target customers.
Content providers big and small will also have another channel to earn or increase revenue for their Thailand businesses.
Google has planned to launch YouTube in Thailand for several years, but held off because it was concerned about censorship permitted under the Computer Crime Act 2007.
“The official launch of YouTube in Thailand will help to simulate growth in the market share of local digital advertising from just 1% in the past 18 months to 5% of total advertising spending this year,” said Ariya Banomyong, country head of Google Thailand.
YouTube will become one of the alternative media channels for brands and agencies.
TV Channels 3 and 7 have already signed up as content partners.
"The YouTube Thailand launch is the next big move for Google in Thailand, after it opened an office here a few years ago. It's also a big stepping stone for local video advertising,” said marketing head Pornthip Kongchun.
Tom Pickett, vice-president for content of YouTube in the US, said YouTube was the world's largest video community, with more than 100 hours of video uploaded every hour.
Globally, it attracts 1 billion viewers each month, 80% of them outside the US.
In Thailand, one third of the viewers use mobile devices. The majority of users are 18-34 years old.