Thailand lacks a clear direction for commercialisation of its creative intellectual property (IP), while the production of tangible merchandise in Thailand is more expensive than in China, according to the Thai Character Design, Art Toy, Pop Culture Licensing and Merchandising Trade Association (TCAP).Napat Phromphruk, president of TCAP, said one of the biggest obstacles for the Thai creative IP industry is the absence of a dedicated government agency to support creators in commercialising their IP into marketable products.
Industry-wide knowledge about commercialising creative IP remains limited, he noted. On the education front, graduates majoring in character design often face limited career paths and lack sufficient knowledge on how to commercialise their creative IP, said Mr Napat.
For example, young creators who develop art toy prototypes and models have little understanding of how to transform their creations into commercially viable products, making it difficult to sustain a business.
Another challenge is manufacturing -- creators seeking to commercialise art toy IP often rely on Chinese manufacturers, as factories typically require large minimum orders. This requirement poses difficulties for smaller creators who cannot generate sufficient sales volumes, he said.
