Thailand’s Manga Industry Takes Off: Manga in Thai

Key takeaways:

• A Thai manga creator was recognized internationally in 2014, inspiring more creators and readers to support manga in Thai.
• Manga in Thailand is continuously progressing, opening themed cafes and manga and anime outlets.
• There are websites that make manga created by Thai authors and artists available to the public. Manga that are first published in Thailand are also included.
• The webtoon market, which is closely similar to manga, is also thriving in Thailand. Professional translation, localization, and typesetting also make it possible for creators to dominate the market.
• Manga translation and typesetting in Thai entails numerous challenges. These challenges increase the need for professional manga translators, both Thai and English.
• Thai manga translation into English allows more readers to access the manga culture in Thailand.

Table of contents

• Thai Manga Industry and Culture
• Translated Manga in Thailand
• Translating your Manga for the Thailand Market
• CCCI – Professional Thai Manga Translation

Sa Wat Dee! When you hear this greeting, you instantly know that you are up for an adventure in Thailand. Historically known as Siam, Thailand is a Southeast Asian country known for its breathtaking temples, iconic dishes, and world-class sports. Do you know what else is waiting to be explored? Manga in Thai.

There are numerous markets that one can maximize. For manga creators and producers, the domestic manga industry in Thailand is definitely promising! Let us navigate Thailand as a country and learn the potential of manga translation and typesetting in Thai. Your first step into boosting the popularity of Thai manga starts here…

Muay Thai, traditional dances, Boys Love (BL)—these are just some of the things you can think of when you say entertainment in Thailand. As mentioned earlier, Thailand has numerous Buddhist temples that hold the country’s history, as well as cultural theaters and shows. While the culture and traditions in the country are strong, the communities are also welcoming influences from other neighboring nations.

It is no surprise that Japan’s manga culture has also reached Thailand. Though the language barrier is a massive challenge, Thai manga translation into English and vice versa has helped manga enthusiasts access various titles. With manga becoming popular in Thailand, the country has eventually grown more Thai manga artists.

Comics have been one of the forms of entertainment in Thailand. Kai Hua Roh (ขายหัวเราะ), launched Vithit Utsahajit in 1973, is one of the classic comic books in the country. It portrayed the humorous aspects of life, society, popular culture, and more! The editor published it to bring entertainment amidst the lack of media at that time.

In 2014, Prema Jatukanyaprateep was awarded the International Manga Award’s Gold Award for Bokbig, further boosting Thai comic book culture. The Seventh International MANGA Award certainly brought a more significant push to manga in Thai, inspiring more Thai manga production companies and creators. And in 2016, when the first Thai branch of Japanese manga and animation goods store opened in Bangkok, hundreds of customers lined up to check out limited items and products.

Thailand has continuously become a heavy consumer of Japanese content. Thailand manga companies helped the industry take off through the digital manga reader Ookbee Comics. Thai manga translation into Indonesian began, making Thai-language manga available to a wider audience.

Note: The webtoon market in Indonesia is also strong, standing as the biggest in Southeast Asia. This growth began when manga readers branched out to other types of similar literature from different cultures.

Manga Geeks in Thailand also enjoy several themed cafes in the country. An example is the return of the Detective Conan-themed Cafe in 2019, which also determined the stand of the manga industry in the country. Yes, there are a lot of otaku in Thailand, and they are waiting for your manga!

Where is manga in Thai now, and how far can your manga translation and typesetting in Thai go? Well, we could start with the manga created by Thai authors and artists and those first published in Thailand. There are many websites that readers can access for their daily dose of Thai comics and manga, such as the Anime Planet.

Some of the popular titles include Pulse, From Nightmare to Love, and University Life I Dreamed of… It’s Not Like This! Thailand has already come a long way since its early titles such as EXEcutional (เอ็กซีคิวชั่นแนล) in 2005!

The constant growth of the manga industry in Thailand is made possible by translation, localization, and typesetting. The art of comics, manga, and anime is interesting to begin with. It becomes even more powerful when titles are made available in many languages. This is where the importance and impact of manga and comics services are highlighted.

Through manga translation, as well as typesetting, you open more opportunities such as webtoon or anime adaptations. You enter more markets in more countries, reaching more audiences and progressing as a creator or producer. Whether you are translating your Thai manga into English or English manga into Thai, Thailand’s manga industry is ready for you.

Note: Like in Indonesia, the webtoon market is also thriving in Thailand. The Kakao Webtoon app topped app charts in the country in 2021. It is also possible to maximize the potentials of this market, which is closely similar to manga, through expert translation, localization, and typesetting.

The Thai language is the sole official language of Thailand. Out of over 60 languages in the country, it is the most spoken by native and overall speakers. Compared to the English language, Thai has fewer fricatives. It is also phonetic, and its alphabet is derived from the Old Khmer script. Simply put, the two languages are very much different, and it will be a challenge to translate a Thai manga to English or vice versa.

Generally, translation and localization are challenging to begin with. Aside from the language alone, you have to consider the culture includ