ouTube Expands Shopping Ecosystem in Thailand, Adding Lazada Partnership and AI Features

Brickinfo News Agency – YouTube has significantly expanded its YouTube Shopping affiliate program in Thailand by announcing a new partnership with Lazada, one of the region’s leading e-commerce platforms. This strategic move, coupled with the introduction of new and upcoming features, is designed to enhance the video commerce landscape by making the shopping experience more seamless for viewers and creating new revenue streams for Thai creators and growth opportunities for brands. The expansion follows substantial momentum in Thailand, where shopping-related watchtime has grown over 400% year-over-year, and over 35% of eligible creators have already enrolled in the program since its launch last year.

The addition of Lazada allows creators to access a significantly wider product catalog to tag in their videos, offering viewers a more diverse range of product recommendations directly within the content they are watching. This collaboration is also expected to benefit Thai brands by providing more avenues to drive traffic and sales on Lazada through partnerships with local creators. YouTube Shopping has proven effective in guiding purchasing decisions, with a high percentage of surveyed Thai viewers trusting creator opinions on brands and products more than on other platforms.

To further optimize the shopping experience, YouTube is integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools. The platform recently rolled out Auto Timestamps, an AI-powered system that automatically displays the product tag at the precise moment it is mentioned in a video, aiming to capture peak viewer interest. Furthermore, YouTube plans to test the ability to automatically identify and tag all eligible products mentioned in videos later this year.

Speaking on the announcement, Mukpim Anantachai, Head of YouTube Partnerships, Thailand, emphasized the platform’s role as a major source of shopping inspiration. “YouTube has become a powerful destination for shopping inspiration, seeing 4.5 billion shopping search queries in June this year,” she noted. Anantachai added that the company is “deeply committed to helping them [creators] thrive in today’s vibrant digital economy” and looks forward to creators using the new features to connect with fans, partner with brands, and build sustainable careers.

Varitha Kiatpinyochai, CEO, Lazada Thailand, highlighted the strategic fit of the partnership. She stated, “The YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program underscores Lazada’s next-level commitment to delivering a seamless shopping experience. By empowering influencers and creators with new revenue streams via shoppable video, we’re enabling them to fully harness their potential and influence within today’s video-driven consumer culture.” She expressed confidence that the partnership will cultivate a vibrant ecosystem and drive substantial growth. The company remains focused on growing the creator economy and building an intuitive, engaging, and rewarding shopping experience on the platform.