May 29, 2026
Bangkok – Media and AI Behavior: Generation Z Thailand Research Report 2026 prepared on the basis of YouGov Survey data collected through the online YouGov panel platform between Monday (23 February 2026) and Wednesday (25 February 2026).
The sample consisted of 2,066 people, 51% female and 49% male.
The majority were of working age, and 55% were employed full-time, while the rest were students, university students, part-time employees, retirees, and those not working.
This group represents the main consumers in today’s market and is made up of 41% Millennials, 37% Gen Z, and 19% Gen X.
By region, 30% were in Bangkok and its suburbs, 20% in the central region, 20% in the northeast, 15% in the north, and 15% in the south.
of Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication in Thammasat University,together Thai government and ABM Connectpublished a survey on media usage and AI usage among Thai Generation Z.
It has been found that Gen Z’s information search and purchase decision behaviors have changed significantly.
Visual search and video influence information search before purchasing decisions
- 66.9% watch video reviews on TikTok and social media before making a purchase decision.
- 21.9% choose to read reviews on Google Search.
Main sources of news and content:
- 73.9% use social media feeds.
- 42.5% conduct their own searches.
- 36.8% receive information from influencers.
- 19.0% get news summaries from AI.
This reflects the shift in information search behavior from ‘search-based’ to ‘discovery-based’, with consumers increasingly discovering products and making decisions through content, videos, reviews and real-world experiences.
AI is used to find ideas, compare information, and summarize content
AI has become an important decision-making tool for Gen Z and is used by:
- 43.2% to find ideas;
- 41.3% compare information.
- To summarize the content, it is 39.9%.
This shows that AI is not just used for convenience, but also plays a role as a “decision-making assistant” in daily life.
- 25.7% use ChatGPT, which is the tool they use most daily.
- 22.1% use Gemini.
- 15.9% use Google AI search.
- 6.7% use Microsoft Copilot.
More than 42.3% of Gen Z respondents have some trust in AI because it can clearly summarize information (56.1%) and provide references (53.1%).
However, when asked how often they purchase products based on AI recommendations, only 12.1% said they purchased products often, and 28.7% said they never purchased them.
The study found that Gen Z still values the “human element” and people’s real-life experiences.
Influencers still have almost twice as much influence over decision-making as AI-generated summaries. This reflects that while Gen Z is using AI for speed and efficiency, they still want honest, tangible content from real people, or the “human touch.”
Associate Professor Prapaipit Muthitacharoen, lecturer in the Department of Public Relations, Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication, Thammasat University, said Gen Z prioritizes social media, sifts through information from multiple sources, and has moderate trust in information generated by AI.
Most people use it to find ideas, not to make purchasing decisions, and they still want sources and verifiable evidence.
This poses new challenges for brands to balance speed, accuracy, transparency, and honesty in their communications.
“The study also found that Thailand’s Gen Z is highly diverse. Therefore, communicating with diversity and equality, or inclusivity, in mind is another issue that brands should pay attention to.”
Meanwhile, Seri Sirinopwongsagon, executive director of ABM Connect Co. Ltd., said statistics on TikTok’s usage in information searches compared to Google suggest that Gen Z wants to experience real-life perspectives and storytelling through video can create a strong impact.
Gen Z uses TikTok in their daily lives, so this is an important opportunity to plan a content strategy to build familiarity and maintain ongoing communication.
Additionally, influencers who can connect values and trust will serve as an important bridge between brands and consumers.
Therefore, brands should focus on both always-on content that builds long-term relationships and experiences that come from reviews and feedback from real users. Because every touchpoint is an important communication opportunity that should not be overlooked.
“Brands must have a strong content strategy to organize their communications efficiently and clearly, while balancing the speed of information from AI with the accuracy of information from the brand. This should combine review content that inspires consumers with a systematic database. This will enable AI to accurately find and summarize information about brands through social platforms. Social platforms are becoming an important new touchpoint for Gen Z consumers in Thailand today.”
