SET-listed telecom operator True Corporation, real estate and retail developer Siam Piwat Group and content producer Kantana Group have invested 300 million baht in "True 5G Pro Hub", a new site for youngsters that aims to capture the lifestyle trends of gaming and future skills.
The digital hub spans more than 2,000 square metres on the fourth floor of Bangkok's Siam Discovery mall and is scheduled to open in December.
"The investment was made with three partners to establish an advanced digital hub for young people into gaming and e-sports," said Jiraj Kaljaruek, content and marketing director at Kantana Group.
He said the hub will provide the first "gaming experience" in Asean, describing it as an important milestone to drive Thailand's digital economy.
The hub focuses on an experimental universe of gaming and pop culture, including cosplay activities, with six main attraction zones, said Mr Jiraj.
The zones comprise: a common area for event space; a Pro Space for players to train and plan; the Play Room for game play; the Moon Room for exhibitions; a VIP room for private discussions; and a Future Gym for digital skills training, such as e-sports, coding, game production and the metaverse.
The hub is also meant to help develop the skills and lifestyles youth are interested in, which have a combined economic value of up to 37.6 billion baht, he said.
Gen Z makes up a quarter of the country's population and they are willing to spend on what they are interested in, said Mr Jiraj.
"We will gain revenue from sponsorship and membership later," he said.
Jatuporn Laosongchitra, senior vice-president for core business development at Siam Piwat, said the hub is expected to increase foot traffic at Siam Discovery by up to 15% from the existing 30,000 visitors a day, adding at least 1,000 extra people per day.
Siam Discovery is one of a trio of malls in the Siam Square area, along with Siam Paragon and Siam Centre, that attract 300,000 people to the site each day.
"True 5G Pro Hub will become a magnet for gamers and e-sports players," Miss Jatuporn said.
"It will also serve as a global destination that caters to gamers from Vietnam, Indonesia and others."
Return on the investment is expected within two years, she said.
Piroon Paireepairit, head of True's 5G working group, said the hub will be part of the firm's e-sports ecosystem and would support an integrated online-and-offline experience for users.
The intention is to attract youngsters to use True's 5G services, he said.
Some 80% of e-sports players in Thailand play via mobile devices and another 20% on PCs, so 5G could be a turning point to support gamers, said Mr Piroon.
There are more than 16 million gamers in Thailand, according to True.