LINE Transforms Crisis into Opportunities, Unveils Core Business Plan

Drives Thai Economic Growth Through the "Chat Economy"

BANGKOK, June 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- LINE Thailand has revealed insightful data on Thai people's LINE trends in the work environment by highlighting on the impact of the move towards an aging society. This results in the working-age population, especially Generation Y, becoming a critical segment, bearing the responsibility for driving the Thai economy and society in many ways. LINE recognizes the significance of this and the need to enhance work efficiency, while promoting a positive work-life balance for this generation through the use of technology. LINE also reveals the business development direction for LINE Thailand in 2023, strengthening the Chat Economy on LINE by developing additional business solutions, reinforcing and promoting new forms of social media, leveraging AI technology and expanding existing services to new businesses, all of which will help both users and business partners grow.

Norasit Sitivechvichit, Chief Operating Officer of LINE Thailand, stated, "It is well known that Thailand has entered an aging society, meaning the number of people of working age is decreasing. This results in a slow or even regressive drive in the economy. Currently, we see that the Gen Y group (aged 28-42) is the most significant group of people of working age. They have the ability to use technology to add economic value and we believe they will be a vital force in an aging society. We need to keep an eye on and support this group to create growth and drive the country's economy forward together."

Unravelling Behaviors of Gen Y, Driving Thai Economy Through Chat

When assessing how technology for work and business on LINE is being used, the Thai people have unique characteristics in using LINE for both work and personal purposes. This occurs in all generations entering the workforce from the age 20, but it is more pronounced in Gen Y. A significant 82% of Gen Y uses LINE Group Chat for work, often coupled with LINE Call. 88% use LINE on a computer, clearly indicating LINE usage for work. Moreover, Gen Y also has the highest LINE usage time, about 100 minutes per day. Simultaneously, it was found that Gen Y has the highest spending on LINE, with double the number of users making purchases through LINE, especially female users. Furthermore, the highest use of LINE Official Accounts (LINE OA) occurs between 8am and noon, Monday through Friday.

LINE's Technologies Respond to the Needs of Working Individuals and Business Owners

The use of the LINE Group Chat feature, and of LINE on computers by Thais reflects their popularity for work purposes, beyond typical daily communications. This leads to the challenge of managing personal and professional lives through chat. LINE is prioritising these concerns. Therefore, the company will be leveraging research on the use of Group Chat, to develop features that will aid Thai people in using LINE for both personal and professional purposes, while maintaining a positive work-life balance and ensuring a good quality of life. LINE will also incorporate both internally developed and externally sourced AI technologies, to enhance the user experience.

In terms of business operations, LINE OA remains a widely used tool, serving as the primary channel for conducting business of all sizes and types online. Currently, there are as many as 6 million accounts. Moreover, there is a set of tools from LINE OA Plus, a suite conceived and developed by a team of LINE engineers based in Thailand, which helps increase the efficiency of LINE OA use. It not only serves as a communication channel, but also responds to diverse needs across a range of business sectors.

This year, LINE will continue to develop numerous tools, under the concept of LINE OA Plus, such as the introduction of "MyCRM", specifically for Customer Relationship Management, alongside improvements to existing tools, like "MyCustomer" for data collection and management, by adding more features for data-driven businesses. Other improvements include a revamped "MyRestaurant", for restaurant business management, to better meet businesses' needs, the official launch of the LINE OA Store, to enable brands to find and access the right tech solution partners, and a platform for developers to present their solutions on LINE to their full potential. Furthermore, LINE plans to establish the Blue Badge Guide Awards, to recognise Thai businesses that are committed to providing exceptional customer experiences, raising the standard for Thai businesses in terms of branding and business operations.

Moreover, LINE will also develop and enhance "MyShop", to become a fundamental tool for all Thai businesses, similarly to how brands in Western countries create brand websites (brand.com) and use market places as their prioritized strategies. For the Thai market, in which consumers already enjoy the ease and familiarity of using LINE Chat and LINE Official Account (LINE OA), while Thai entrepreneurs can set up their shops or connect their businesses into LINE system easily and free, these will serve Chat Economy on LINE as a crucial foundation for Thai businesses to further drive the growth of E-commerce in Thailand, in conjunction with the existing market place.

Accelerating Growth in the Lifestyle Business Sector 

Not only in the business realm, but also in lifestyle, LINE continues to listen and develop its services to cater to the growth and demands of the new generation, who value freedom as well as privacy. LINE OpenChat is yet one of LINE services that is popular with all age groups. With the highest usage reaching up to 10 hours per day, it can be regarded as an 'Always On' used service, with the longest usage compared to other services on the platform. Currently, it has 17 million active users per month. This year, LINE OpenChat plans to develop the "Live Talk" feature, to enable real-time conversations, offering a new and anonymous experience. It also plans to develop a space for influencers within the LINE ecosystem.

Meanwhile, other LINE services are also expanding and developing, including LINE TODAY, which is set to broaden partnerships with diverse allies, transforming from a news aggregator into a business of diverse content. LINE STICKERS plans to expand its licensing business to boost the potential of the character industry in Thailand, following the recent success of the collaboration between K Plus and LINE Creators. LINE MELODY is focusing on expanding its business, from music commerce to driving the music industry as a whole, with various promotional activities providing opportunities for both big and small labels, as well as independent artists, to generate income and growth. Moreover, LINE HORO plans to expand its business, from online merit-making services, to a new era of convenient and trustworthy donations, "Donation on LINE". The recent success was demonstrated through the coffin donation project and a fundraising campaign for social assistance, in collaboration with 'taejai.com', raising more than 2 million Baht over the past three months.

"From the data, both in terms of societal structure and the behaviour of Thais when using the LINE platform, which has been continuously evolving, we focus on developing and improving the use of our extensive range of services. To meet what Thais want, we leverage the expertise of the LINE Thailand Engineering team, who can design tools and services to match the specific needs of Thais. We are confident that LINE Thailand can promote change and be a positive driving force for the country through our Chat Economy, developing Thailand's own competitive potential" Norasit concluded.