Commerce Ministry launches TCEX 2026 Thai SME promotion event

The Ministry of Commerce launched the Thailand Creative Content & Character Expo 2026 (TCEX 2026), an international event yesterday, which will run until July 12. It is aimed at showcasing Thai SME innovations and expanding local creative works onto the global stage.

The expo seeks to connect local creators with international businesses, investors, licensees and partners, with the ultimate goal of establishing Thailand as the premier content and character business hub in Southeast Asia.

Auramon Supthaweethum, director general of the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP), stated yesterday that the government recognises the immense potential of Thailand’s creative industries, noting that numerous Thai artists and creators have already produced outstanding works that have garnered international acclaim.

According to Auramon, TCEX 2026 has as its mission the elevation of the capabilities of Thai entrepreneurs, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and aims to help them leverage intellectual property (IP) to add value to their creations, expand trade opportunities and boost their competitiveness globally.

"To scale creative works into sustainable business growth, we must start with robust intellectual property (IP) protection and the efficient commercialisation of those rights," Auramon said.

She emphasised that the DIP is actively pushing IP to act as both a shield for rights protection and a core mechanism driving the creative economy forward.

Being held at Siam Paragon in Bangkok, on the theme of ‘The Multiverse of Creativity’, the four-day expo showcases the country's IP potential while providing a concrete business platform. It connects rights holders with domestic and international investors, buyers, manufacturers and distributors.

The event features creative characters, content, and IP from over 250 Thai artists, creators, studios, and brands.

The showcases are divided into categories, namely Character & Art, featuring art toys and contemporary art, Content & Story, spanning books, animation and films, Game & Interactive, covering eSports and board games, and Creative Lifestyle, highlighting IP-driven fashion and collectibles.

Business matching sessions are also being organised, to give local creators a direct line to international licensees and investors and designed to open up new licensing deals and joint ventures, while building a stronger network among the public sector, private enterprises, academic institutions and professional associations within the creative ecosystem.