Developing a website with public service at its core

Thai PBS has brought together ten separate streams of its operations in its new website. It’s been developed with all the latest tools to make it as accessible, personalised, and safe as possible.

By Ruthai Kritsanapraphan, Head of International Relations, Thai PBS

Thai PBS launched a new website on October 10, 2022, with the new concept of “click every day to keep up with current events”. The new website consolidates quality programs from 10 sub-sites in one place to provide users with access to comprehensive content including:

1. News & Programs, high quality and reliable current news and various programs
2. Podcasts, providing audio media programs that build and strengthen society
3. ALTV Channel 4, a fun learning TV for everyone
4. VIPA, a free Thai content video on demand platform
5. Thai PBS World, an English news channel
6. Thai PBS Kids, a safe learning resource for children and families
7. The Active, a space for social agenda contents
8. Decode, a venue tackling social issues to find mutual solutions
9. Citizen, a public space for citizen journalists, and
10. DXC (Disaster Communication Development Center) – a source of information and knowledge on disasters.

It is a large content re-organization that comes with many modern features in the attempt to meet users’ demands in the digital era. Thai PBS website offers full new functions for viewing video content such as Skip Intro, Binge Watching, Continue Watching, Chromecast / Airplay, Picture in Picture – viewers can minimize videos while using other functions at the same time during viewing.  Other services include Closed Caption (CC), Audio Description (AD), Original Soundtrack, and Big Sign (full screen sign language) to support our universality policy and equal accessibility which is one of the obligations of Thai PBS as a public broadcaster.

Dr. Wilasinee Phiphitkul, Thai PBS Director General, described the concept of the “Thai PBS Online” transformation as fresh and ready to step into the world of modern communication that can reach more users than ever before.

As a public media organisation, Thai PBS is committed to being a space that is easily accessible to all people. Accessibility was the main principle and a priority when Thai PBS planned to improve our online platforms. “We want Thai PBS online space to be User friendly and easily accessible. The search functions for various content must work efficiently. Essentially, we want users to enjoy spending time on the Thai PBS website as long as possible and as safely (free from spam and disinformation) as possible.”

Another concept is that as public media, Thai PBS must be agile to keep up with ever-changing online consumer behavior. The new website needs to fully accommodate the needs of all generations. Therefore, the content must respond to the audiences’ interests and has a system to support ‘Personalized’ recommendations and keep them up to date with the recent technology.

“As public media, Thai PBS must be agile to keep up with ever-changing online consumer behavior. The new website needs to fully accommodate the needs of all generations.”

Ready To Compete with Quality Content and Open Spaces For All Groups of People

In the online industry, competing on Engagement is inevitable, but Thai PBS aims more at learning and strengthening the civic sector of Thai society rather than competing for merely ratings, which is not a public media approach.

Thai PBS tries to focus on people in GEN Y and GEN Z – two important groups that are most active in online media services. We learn to understand their online behavior and interests, but despite this, other groups of audiences are equally focused, such as the elderly who also utilize online media services. Thai PBS has been working on collecting information, known as Customer Insights, as well as doing research and collecting information from the website itself to appropriately create Engagement for different groups of viewers.

As a public service media organisation, Thai PBS is positioning ourselves differently from other commercial online media, that is, we try to create an open space for  the community, citizens, and the civic sector to participate in the discussion and brainstorm on issues they are facing such as disasters, the current flood situation, the upcoming general elections, and so on. We believe our online space can play important roles in creating engagement with goals to help each other brainstorm their own issues to create better solutions for the future. We can say this is the mission of Thai PBS’ online space.

Thai PBS is Committed to Being A Content Provider Hub and Upgrading The Platform To Compete Internationally

Nowadays, all media are moving towards digital transformation. Thai PBS has taken serious actions in both investment and technology development, especially the development of staff’s digital skills, digital mindset and working perspective.

Moving forward to digital transformation is an important direction for Thai PBS. Currently we see ourselves as a Content provider hub of Thailand that aims to support high quality content creators in the country to enhance their potential. We open our space for program showcase and exchange to support the growth of this industry.

Positioning ourselves as a Content provider hub, Thai PBS not only focuses on producing our own content, but also on empowering and enhancing the potential of independent producers who work with us. Our next aim is to create a more efficient platform to compete on the Global level in the future.