(Bangkok Post file photo)Thailand's internet economy is expected to be worth US$30 billion (around 984 billion baht) in 2021, up 51% year-on-year, buoyed by a surge in e-commerce, according to the latest e-Conomy SEA 2021 report. The annual study of Southeast Asia's internet economy is jointly commissioned by Google, Bain & Company and Temasek. The biggest contributor to the country's internet economy in 2021 has been e-commerce with $21 billion, followed by online media at $4.5 billion, online travel at $2.8 billion and transport and food at $2 billion. Digital merchants use an average of two digital platforms, while profitability remains a top concern for them. Digital financial services are becoming important for vendors, with 96% of digital merchants now accepting digital payments and 82% adopting digital lending solutions.
