Thailand Gen Z uses YouTube as purchase research, not only entertainment

The Thailand-specific question is whether YouTube should be planned as a purchase-research layer rather than only an entertainment or awareness channel. Think with Google APAC reports that 82% of Gen Z in Thailand use Google for shopping activities including discovery, browsing, ideas, research or purchasing. It also reports that 93% of Gen Z viewers in Thailand agreed that information found on YouTube made them feel confident about a purchase they made (Think with Google APAC).

These are self-reported survey findings from Google's marketing publication, not observed transaction data. The limitation matters. The data does not prove that YouTube caused the purchase. It does indicate that, for Thai Gen Z respondents, YouTube belongs inside the information and confidence path before purchase.

Confidence is different from impulse

The same Google APAC article reports that 67% of users in Thailand said they could trust product or service reviews from YouTube creators even when sponsored by brands, compared with 38% on Instagram and 63% on TikTok (Think with Google APAC). This should not be read as a ranking of sales power. It is a clue about the role YouTube can play when buyers need explanation and reassurance.

YouTube's Shopping Trends Report gives a wider content-commerce structure. It says shopping trends are driven by creators, communities, content formats and product trends, and that its report analyzed the top 5,000 most-purchased products from H1 2025 plus the top 1,000 tagged-product videos by transaction in a 60-day period (YouTube Shopping Trends). The U.S. Gen Z figures in that report should not be transferred to Thailand, but the structure fits a research-led purchase path.

For Thai campaigns, the content map should start with buyer questions. What does the product do? Who is it for? What are the limits? How does it compare with the known option? What happens after purchase? A creator readout that answers those questions may create more durable commercial value than a short endorsement that only repeats a claim.

Shopping features should support the research path

YouTube's 2026 Shopping expansion lets eligible YPP creators with at least 500 subscribers tag products across Shorts, VOD and Live (YouTube Shopping expansion). For Thailand, the feature should be placed after content planning. If the viewer uses YouTube to gain confidence, the tag is useful when the content has already answered the purchase risk.

Metricool's connected-account sample reports YouTube views per video up 30%, weekly posting up 25% and comments up 7% in 2025 organic performance. Comments matter in a research path because they expose the questions that official copy did not answer. A Thai channel plan should review comment themes, not only views.

The main execution risk is importing a performance-ad structure into a research medium. A hard-selling video may get clicks, but if comments reveal uncertainty about sizing, authenticity, delivery or returns, the campaign has not solved the confidence layer.

Planning decision

Build Thai YouTube commerce content around purchase questions, then attach Shopping or affiliate mechanics only where the video has earned the handoff. Each priority SKU should have at least one comparison asset, one usage asset and one objection-handling asset. The decision metric should include comment quality, repeat search traffic, tagged-product interaction and post-click conversion, not reach alone.