Interview: Shaun Pham on navigating the Thailand market

Thailand’s communications industry is undergoing rapid change as media consumption shifts across social platforms, creator communities, and digital channels. For communicators, understanding how audiences discover and engage with information has become increasingly complex.

To explore how these shifts are shaping the Thai PR landscape, Telum spoke with Shaun Pham, CEO & Founder of Spotlight Asia. In mapping the changes, he shares how the country’s communications industry is adapting to the evolving media ecosystems and audience behaviour with creativity and integrity.

Social platforms reshaping newsrooms, audiences, influences and storytelling
In Thailand, audiences discover news, trends, and lifestyle content through social media and online communities, particularly Facebook groups that focus on topics ranging from lifestyle and entertainment to politics and beauty. For communicators, these platforms have become an increasingly important part of the broader media ecosystem.

Influence, meanwhile, is shifting toward creators and personalities who feel authentic and relatable to their audiences.

“It’s not always about reaching the biggest audience,” Shaun explained. “Sometimes a smaller but highly relevant target audience can deliver stronger impact because the message resonates directly with the people you want to reach.” He also emphasised that as the audiences consume information in shorter, faster formats, which traditional media in Thailand has adapted to create a social-first content.

Alongside these shifts in media consumption, Thailand’s reputation for bold and creative campaigns continues to shape its communications landscape. Shaun said that rather than relying solely on informational messaging, brands are increasingly focusing on storytelling that entertains, engages, and creates emotional connections with audiences.

“Communication that feels entertaining and relatable often resonates more than direct or hard-selling messaging,” he said. Shaun also highlighted that creativity is most effective when it is grounded in local culture and tied to clear business outcomes, especially in the market.

This creative mindset should also be reflected in the public relations sector. Shaun recalls a campaign for a Sriracha sauce producer that highlighted the value of experiential storytelling.

Although the brand was widely recognised internationally, local consumers were less familiar with its story. Instead of relying solely on media outreach, the agency created an experience that invited journalists and creators to visit the sauce producer’s factory, meet the people behind the product, and observe the production process first-hand.

The initiative, Shaun explained, generated strong media interest while allowing journalists to connect more directly with the brand.

“Today, it’s not just about sending out information,” he said. “It’s about designing experiences that help people connect with the story behind the brand.” He believes that the most effective campaigns should combine strong storytelling with a clear distribution strategy across the right media and journalists, so it drives real consideration and action, not just views.

From traditional PR to integrated communications
As audience behaviour evolves, agencies in Thailand are adapting their services to reflect changing client expectations.

“PR today is no longer just about press releases or press conferences,” Shaun remarked. “Campaigns now integrate media relations, creators, partnerships, events, and digital channels as part of a broader communications ecosystem.”

This shift also reflects how audiences in Thailand, particularly younger consumers, are engaging with content across platforms. “Long-term strategy needs to move away from campaign bursts toward always-on communications,” Shaun said. “Staying relevant means moving where the consumer lives.”

He cited Free Fire as an example where Garnier Men collaborated with the game to connect with its male audience in a more native environment, integrating the brand into the platforms where consumers are already spending time.

This shift has also shaped the evolution of his own agency. Originally launched as Spotlight PR, the firm later rebranded as Spotlight Asia as its services expanded beyond traditional public relations to include broader communications and campaign strategy.

Despite these changes, Shaun noted that traditional media continues to play an important role in building credibility, particularly in an era where digital fatigue is high and the rise of AI-generated content has created a credibility crisis.

“Traditional media has become a brand’s anchor of legitimacy,” he said. “While digital provides speed, formats like out-of-home act as a ‘safety signal’ for Thai consumers.”

He explained that highly visible placements, such as mass transit takeovers, reinforce a brand’s presence in the real world and signal trustworthiness. This, in turn, strengthens the effectiveness of digital and creator-led campaigns that follow.

“It works best as part of an ecosystem,” he added. “Traditional media builds initial trust, which then drives curiosity and engagement across platforms like TikTok or search.”

Navigating Thailand’s increasingly complex media ecosystem
“In Thailand, PR has moved from a single-channel discipline into a network of touchpoints across media, social platforms, and creators,” he said. “The challenge now is understanding how these channels work together to influence audiences.”

He added that as content consumption becomes more fragmented, brands must balance cultural relevance with consistency across platforms, ensuring they remain present in the spaces where Thai audiences are most active.

While emerging technologies such as AI may improve efficiency, Shaun emphasised that tools cannot replace human insight.

“AI can help with efficiency, but it cannot replace strategic thinking,” he explained. “Understanding audiences, culture, and storytelling will always remain central to communications.”

As the Thai media ecosystem continues to evolve, Shaun believes the market offers useful lessons for communicators across the region.

“Ultimately, communications is about connecting with people,” he said. “The platforms and tools will continue to change, but meaningful storytelling will always remain at the core of what we do.