TL;DR
- YouTube Thailand officially launched YouTube Creator Partnerships in Thailand at YouTube Works Awards Thailand 2026, a Google Ads tool to find creators by keyword, category or trend.
- Commerce Media Network sends high-intent shoppers from YouTube ads to Shopee and Lazada checkout; YouTube said a Nivea Thailand pilot tripled online orders and lifted offline sales 32%.
- YouTube data for December 2025 counts more than 90,000 Thai channels above 10,000 subscribers, with Shorts uploads up 85% year on year.
- A commissioned Analytic Edge MMM meta-analysis of 23 Thai FMCG studies (2021-2025) put YouTube's full-funnel ROI at 1.51x media overall and 1.71x traditional TV.
- Dettol's It's Dettol Time won Best of Thailand; Southeast Asia results are due on 7 October 2026.
At YouTube Works Awards Thailand 2026, YouTube Thailand officially launched YouTube Creator Partnerships in Thailand, put Thai numbers behind its creator and Shorts growth, and presented Commerce Media Network, a system that sends high-intent shoppers from YouTube ads straight to Shopee and Lazada checkout. Dettol's "It's Dettol Time" won Best of Thailand. The Thai winners now go forward to the YouTube Works Awards Southeast Asia, which announces results on 7 October 2026.
What YouTube Thailand announced at YouTube Works Awards Thailand 2026
Marketing Oops published the winners on 24 September 2026, and The Story Thailand ran a longer write-up of the event on 25 September 2026. Both reports say the awards were judged in partnership with Deloitte. The Story Thailand describes the evening as more than an annual trophy night: YouTube Thailand used it to set out its business direction in the country, from a tool that helps brands find and hire creators to a system that ties ads on the platform to marketplace checkout pages.
Marketing Oops summarised YouTube's framing as three directions: Culture, Connection and Commerce. Raphael Cislowski, Country Manager of Google Thailand, told the audience that over the past 12 years YouTube has become part of daily life in Thailand and a centre of culture, connection and commerce. He said YouTube combines viewer intent, the trust creators have built, shopping solutions across every screen and Google AI into one ecosystem for creators and brand partners.
Relevant Audience covered YouTube's global Made On announcements, including the worldwide Creator Partnerships rollout, on 24 September 2026. What is new at the Thai event is the Thai layer: the official Thai launch of Creator Partnerships, Thailand-specific audience data, a Thai FMCG return-on-investment study, and the Commerce Media Network link to Shopee and Lazada.
The Thai audience numbers YouTube put on the table
YouTube Thailand cited two sets of data at the September 2026 event. The first is survey work by Google and Kantar. In the "Future of Video" study, conducted in May 2026, 90% of Thais surveyed named YouTube the most trusted video platform. Google and Kantar data from 2026 also found that 94% of Thai Gen Z consider YouTube the platform with the best podcast content, and 87% of Thai Gen Z say YouTube makes them more confident in their purchase decisions.
The second set is YouTube's own internal data. As of December 2025, Thailand had more than 90,000 YouTube channels with over 10,000 subscribers, and Shorts uploads were up 85% on the previous year. YouTube also said that 40% of video views happen more than one month after a video is published.
These are platform-supplied figures. The survey numbers come from research Google commissioned or ran with Kantar, and the channel and upload counts come from YouTube's internal systems. Neither report published the sample size, the survey questions or the methodology, so treat them as YouTube's view of its own position rather than independent measurement.
Watch-time shifts by content type
Jarudech Lertsumitkul, Community Partner Manager at YouTube Thailand, said creators are driving culture through three areas: entertainment, empowerment and self-improvement, and ecommerce. On entertainment, he said watch time for TV dramas on YouTube has tripled, and thriller content, which has widened from ghost stories into true crime, has doubled its watch time. The travel channel GoWentGo gets 75% of its watch time from viewing on TV screens. As an example of culture built on sustained viewing rather than a passing viral spike, he pointed to Kratae R Siam's "Bangkok City" music video, which has more than 27 million views and led to dance covers and a trend of wearing a sabai with jeans to visit Wat Arun.
The reports do not say over what period the drama and thriller growth was measured, so the "3x" and "2x" figures cannot be dated precisely.
Four products and programmes YouTube highlighted for Thailand
The table below lists what YouTube Thailand presented on the commercial side, with the figures YouTube attached to each one. Every number in it is YouTube's own claim or comes from research YouTube commissioned.
| Product or programme | What it does, per YouTube Thailand | Figure YouTube cited |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube Creator Partnerships | Google Ads toolset to find creators by keyword, category or trend, with audience demographics and engagement data | Creator assets used with ads lift conversion rate by up to 30% and marketing ROI by up to 40% (YouTube claim) |
| Shorts Series | Lets creators organise Shorts into episodes that viewers watch in order | No figure given; tied to growth of micro dramas |
| Commerce Media Network | Sends high-intent shoppers from YouTube ads to Shopee and Lazada checkout using real-time shopping signals | Nivea Thailand pilot: 3x online orders, 32% more offline sales |
| YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program | Links shopping journeys from videos to Shopee and Lazada | Products tagged in more than 6 million videos across Southeast Asia |
YouTube Creator Partnerships is officially live in Thailand
YouTube Thailand officially launched YouTube Creator Partnerships in Thailand at the September 2026 event. It is a set of tools inside Google Ads that lets brands and agencies find and work with creators directly. The search is AI-driven: marketers can look for creators by keyword, category or trend, and check audience demographics and engagement levels before they make contact. According to YouTube, using creator assets alongside ads raises conversion rate by up to 30% and marketing ROI by up to 40%.
"Up to" figures describe the best results YouTube observed, not an average. The reports do not say what the 30% and 40% were measured against, in which markets, or over how many campaigns.
Shorts Series for episodic short-form and micro dramas
Jarudech said short dramas, or micro dramas, are another fast-growing entertainment category, which is why YouTube launched Shorts Series. The feature lets creators arrange Shorts as episodes, so viewers can watch in sequence and find new shows more easily. YouTube said it also gives advertisers a way to be part of content with high engagement. The reports did not describe the ad format or buying method that goes with it.
Commerce Media Network: from YouTube ad to Shopee or Lazada checkout
Commerce Media Network connects high-intent shoppers from YouTube ads directly to the checkout pages of Shopee and Lazada. It relies on real-time shopping signals, such as what a user is searching for or has added to a cart, so marketplaces and brands can show ads that match what the viewer is interested in while they are watching. Viewers can shop from any content format on any screen through the network, The Story Thailand reported.
YouTube's case study was Nivea Thailand, which piloted a full-funnel set of ad solutions, from awareness to conversion, that included Commerce Media Network. The result YouTube reported was three times as many online orders and a 32% rise in offline sales. The report does not separate how much of that came from Commerce Media Network versus the other formats in the pilot, and it gives no pilot dates, budget, or the baseline the 3x and 32% figures were measured against, so they read as YouTube's reported outcome rather than a measured causal effect.
YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program and long-tail views
The YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program links viewers from videos to Shopee and Lazada. The Story Thailand's Thai-language report gives a figure of more than 50% in connection with eligible creators in the programme; its wording does not make clear whether that is the share of eligible creators who have joined. Products have been tagged in more than 6 million videos across Southeast Asia. That figure is regional, not Thai.
YouTube tied shopping to the long life of its content. With 40% of views arriving more than a month after upload, it cited the channel Yum Kin Dai Aroi Duay, where a clip uploaded six years ago still drives sales and conversions. YouTube said this kind of content spans categories from cosmetics to motorcycles and knock-down houses.
The ROI claim: Analytic Edge MMM meta-analysis of 23 Thai FMCG studies
YouTube referred to a commissioned Analytic Edge marketing mix modelling (MMM) meta-analysis covering 2021 to 2025. It combined 23 marketing studies in Thailand's fast-moving consumer goods category. By YouTube's account, the analysis found that YouTube delivered full-funnel marketing ROI 1.51 times higher than media overall and 1.71 times higher than traditional TV.
Two limits matter. The study was commissioned, and the reports do not say by whom beyond the "commissioned" label, though it was presented by YouTube. It also covers FMCG only, so it says nothing direct about property, automotive, B2B or services. Read it as a benchmark to test in your own MMM or incrementality work, not a result to plan against.
What three Thai creators told brands
Three creators spoke about working with brands: Kodey of Good Day Official, Nae and Pai of ANO and Friends, and Jib Jannapa. According to The Story Thailand, they agreed on three points.
- Shorts feed long-form rather than competing with it. Kodey said viewers' time is the same but they have more choice, and Shorts pull people into longer videos and help brand messages land. Nae and Pai said Shorts bring in new viewers who had never watched the channel. Jib Jannapa said long-form builds trust and loyalty, while Shorts open the door and help drive sales in beauty and lifestyle.
- Content keeps working after launch day. Kodey said evergreen formats such as food and travel keep being searched and recommended. Nae and Pai said views grow over weeks or months and fans message them later about products seen in a clip. Jib Jannapa said a video published two years ago still gets views, comments and sales.
- Product placement should fit the story. Kodey said storytelling has its own rhythm and the product does not need to appear in the first minute. Nae and Pai said viewers can tell when a sale is being forced, and asked brands and agencies to let creators present products in their own style rather than hand them a fixed script.
"What matters is the reason to buy and the storytelling. Viewers decide to buy because they trust the creator," Jib Jannapa said, according to The Story Thailand. She also mentioned YouTube Shopping's timestamp feature, which lets viewers buy a product without leaving the video.
The winners: Dettol takes Best of Thailand
Dettol's "It's Dettol Time" won Best of Thailand at YouTube Works Awards Thailand 2026 and also took Best of Festive. Snack Jack Ring's "Mother Strike" won The Big Bang. vivo's "vivo V70" campaign won Multiformat Storytelling, and L'Oreal Thailand's "Scaling an AI-First Media Ecosystem" won Masters of Media. The Thai winners move on to the YouTube Works Awards Southeast Asia, with regional results due on 7 October 2026.
What this means for Thai marketers
This section is Relevant Audience analysis of the announcements above, not additional reporting.
Creator Partnerships being inside Google Ads changes where creator work sits. If a brand's YouTube budget is run by a performance team in Google Ads and its influencer budget by a separate social or PR team, the two now meet in one tool. It is worth deciding who owns creator selection before the first brief goes out, and making sure creator assets are cleared for ad use in the contract, since YouTube's uplift claim is about creator assets used with ads.
Commerce Media Network matters most to brands that sell through Shopee and Lazada rather than their own site. The mechanism depends on the marketplaces' shopping signals, so the questions to ask are practical: which of your SKUs are listed and in stock on each marketplace, how orders are attributed back to the YouTube ad, and whether you can see marketplace sales data in the same report as ad spend. The reports did not explain eligibility, pricing or measurement, so get those answers from your Google or marketplace contact before committing budget. For brands building marketplace sales, it sits next to wider ecommerce marketing planning rather than replacing it.
The 40% long-tail views figure is an argument for planning YouTube content as an asset with a life of months or years. Paid media can then extend the reach of videos that are already earning views, which is cheaper to test than making new ones. Tag products in evergreen videos where the Shopping programmes allow it.
The ROI and uplift numbers are YouTube's, from commissioned research and platform data. Use them to decide what to test, then measure in your own account: a geo split, a conversion lift study, or an MMM refresh if you already run one. A YouTube ads plan built around your own incrementality numbers holds up better with finance than one built on a vendor benchmark. Creator and Shorts work also overlaps with social ads on other platforms, so compare cost per result across channels rather than in isolation.
FAQ
Is YouTube Creator Partnerships live in Thailand?
Yes, YouTube Thailand said it officially launched YouTube Creator Partnerships in Thailand at YouTube Works Awards Thailand 2026. It works inside Google Ads, with AI search by keyword, category or trend and audience data on each creator.
Which marketplaces does Commerce Media Network connect to?
Commerce Media Network connects YouTube ads to Shopee and Lazada checkout pages, according to The Story Thailand. The reports did not say whether other marketplaces or brand websites will be added, or how pricing and eligibility work.
Is YouTube really 1.51 times better for ROI than other media?
That is YouTube's reading of a commissioned Analytic Edge MMM meta-analysis of 23 Thai FMCG studies from 2021 to 2025, not an independent verdict. It found full-funnel ROI 1.51 times media overall and 1.71 times traditional TV, and it only covers FMCG.
When are the Southeast Asia results announced?
YouTube Works Awards Southeast Asia results are due on 7 October 2026. The Thai winners, led by Dettol's Best of Thailand campaign, go through to that regional stage.
Do advertisers have to do anything now?
No, nothing is required, and no deadline was announced. Brands already running YouTube ads can ask for access to Creator Partnerships in Google Ads, and marketplace sellers can ask their Google or marketplace contact about Commerce Media Network eligibility.
YouTube's Thai pitch this year is that one platform can cover viewing, discovery and checkout. The tools are real; the performance figures are YouTube's own, and the useful next step is to test them against your own numbers. If you want help planning that test across YouTube, creators and marketplaces, Relevant Audience can walk through it with your team.
