Welcome to Tech in Asia’s daily newsletter, your essential dose of Asia’s tech and startup buzz. Not on the mailing list? Register here. Got a story tip? Send it to editors@techinasia.com.
In focus
- From smiles to scale: Thai startups head to Singapore
- A dive into payment platform Omise’s latest earnings
- Revisit this visual piece on why Thai fintech isn’t your typical David vs. Goliath story
Hello reader,
Today’s newsletter dives deep into a market that probably doesn’t get enough attention: Thailand.
The country, often called “the Land of Smiles,” hasn’t exactly become the land of startups. As our top story explores, many of the nation’s most ambitious young companies are looking elsewhere to scale.
Most often, their gaze is across the border in Singapore, where the rules are clearer, the funding more robust, and the odds of going big are a little less stacked.
That doesn’t mean some Thai startups aren’t recording solid traction. Case in point: Omise.
The payments firm has weathered a few rebrands and some rough years, but as my colleague Miguel Cordon notes in his earnings analysis, it’s now showing signs of a profitable turnaround. Its 2024 rebound was driven by regional expansion and new partnerships, proof that Thai firms can still scale across Southeast Asia with the right focus and flexibility.
Thailand may not be the loudest in Southeast Asia’s tech arena, but its founders and funders are quietly rewriting the rules.
Don’t sleep on this one.
Peter Cowan, engagement editor
Top Stories
1️⃣ Why Thai startups are chasing growth in Singapore
Photo credit: tampatra / 123RF
Thailand is Southeast Asia’s third-largest economy by gross domestic product. It also has a booming digital commerce sector and is investing heavily in data centers. So why do Thai startups often choose Singapore for their headquarters?
From our archives
A look at the voices that shaped the first AMPED and what’s ahead this September
Trending news
Stay updated on the go with our mobile app.
Get latest insights with smoother, more personalized experience through TIA mobile app.
