Thairath TV

Thairath TV is a Thai digital terrestrial television channel associated with the Thairath media group. The channel is operated by Triple V Broadcast Co., Ltd., a subsidiary connected with Thairath, whose corporate ownership is attributed to Vacharaphol Co., Ltd. It was created as part of Thailand's expansion of digital terrestrial television and began trial broadcasting in April 2014 after its operator won a digital television broadcasting licence. The channel's editorial identity is rooted in the Thairath newspaper and news-publishing operation. Its schedule has traditionally been news-intensive, but it is not limited to conventional bulletins. News programmes are combined with current-affairs discussion, live event coverage, entertainment formats, sports programming, and other audience-oriented shows. This mix allows the channel to operate as a general-interest television service while retaining a strong breaking-news and public-affairs focus. Thairath TV's first transmission took place on 1 April 2014. The launch schedule included the Thairath News Show and a live opening event presented from Center Point Studio in Soi Lasalle. The station initially used transmission facilities supplied by MCOT Public Company Limited during its trial and early broadcasting phase. It also invested in television-production and presentation technology, including Vizrt broadcast-graphics systems and Dolby-based audio equipment. The channel later discontinued Dolby transmission, but its use of persistent and animated on-screen graphics became one of its recognizable presentation characteristics. A notable innovation was the integration of audience messages sent through LINE into live newscasts. Thairath TV introduced this approach in August 2015, using the Thairath central LINE account to display viewer messages on screen. The presentation was subsequently adjusted, including a move of the message bar toward the bottom of the screen in 2017. The format was an early example of social and messaging-platform participation being incorporated directly into Thai television news, and similar practices later appeared on other channels. The channel also extends selected coverage through Thairath's YouTube presence. Depending on the event, online streams may carry sports, special events, breaking news, or a separate live feed from the reporting location. This gives Thairath TV an additional distribution route beyond terrestrial broadcasting and supports live coverage when a web-first or location-specific feed is more suitable than the normal television signal. Thairath TV has used changing slogans to express its public-facing identity. Its early slogan, used from 2014 to 2015, emphasized thinking differently with understanding. From 2018 onward, the channel has used the slogan meaning "the TV for the mass," reinforcing its positioning as a broadly accessible Thai television service. Its programming, visual presentation, and audience-interaction features collectively position the brand as a mass-market news and entertainment channel rather than a narrowly specialized news network.

Thairath TV emerged from Thailand's digital terrestrial television rollout and the Thairath media group's expansion beyond newspaper publishing. The channel is operated by Triple V Broadcast Co., Ltd., which is identified as a Thairath subsidiary, and is associated with Vacharaphol Co., Ltd. The operator won a digital television broadcasting licence, enabling the Thairath brand to establish a dedicated television outlet. The service began trial broadcasting on 1 April 2014. Its initial transmission used signal-transmission equipment supplied by MCOT Public Company Limited and was presented as a test picture with Dolby 5.1 sound. The channel formally began its daily schedule at 6:00 p.m. on the same date. The evening included the Thairath News Show and a live opening ceremony from Center Point Studio in Soi Lasalle. The launch event was structured around a special television-battle presentation that previewed programmes and invited the studio audience to vote on the proposed formats. From its beginning, the channel adopted a news-led generalist model. News and current affairs formed the core of the schedule, while entertainment and sports helped broaden the audience and fill the role of a full-service television channel. The connection with Thairath's established news operation gave the station a recognizable editorial and brand foundation, while digital television allowed it to compete in a new multi-channel environment. Technology was an important part of the early station identity. Thairath TV purchased Vizrt broadcast-graphics management technology from Norway for approximately US$1.4 million, according to the cited reference material. The system enabled animated and persistent on-screen graphics, channel identifiers, programme transitions, commercial-break elements, and seasonal visual treatments. The station also invested in Dolby-related sound technology, although Dolby transmission was later discontinued around December 2014. Audience interaction became another defining development. In August 2015, Thairath TV became the first Thai television station described in the reference material as displaying viewer messages from LINE during newscasts. Messages were submitted through Thairath's central LINE account and appeared in a bar near the lower-left portion of the screen. In February 2017, the presentation was moved down toward the bottom of the screen. The approach reflected the growing importance of messaging applications in Thai media consumption and was subsequently adopted in varying forms by other television channels. The channel has also used online video to supplement terrestrial transmission. Thairath's YouTube channel has been used for live sports, special events, and breaking-news coverage. Some streams reproduce or extend the normal television feed, while others use a separate signal showing the atmosphere from the reporting or event location. This arrangement gives Thairath TV flexibility in distributing live material and connects the television brand with a broader digital audience. Programming developments have included the use of recognizable public figures in news-related formats. In January 2017, former politician Chuwit Kamolvisit became a host of Tee Sak Na, which was included in the weekday primetime Thairath News Show schedule. The channel has also carried sports properties and other live events, including boxing-related broadcasts referenced in the source material. Thairath TV's public identity has changed through its slogans. From 2014 to 2015 it used a slogan translated as "Think differently with understanding." From 2018 onward it has used a slogan translated as "The TV for the mass." Together with its news-heavy schedule, broad programme mix, interactive graphics, LINE integration, and online streaming, these developments show the channel's evolution as a mass-market Thai broadcaster operating across terrestrial television and digital video.

• 2018

  Adoption of the mass-market slogan

  [1]Thairath TVen.wikipedia.org

  The channel began using the slogan translated as "The TV for the mass," replacing its earlier launch-period positioning statement.

• 2017

  Relocation of the LINE message display

  [1]Thairath TVen.wikipedia.org

  The on-screen LINE message bar was moved toward the bottom of the screen to improve continuity and presentation during broadcasts.

• 2017

  Chuwit Kamolvisit joins a primetime news programme

  [1]Thairath TVen.wikipedia.org

  Former politician Chuwit Kamolvisit became a host of Tee Sak Na within the weekday Thairath News Show schedule.

• 2015

  LINE viewer-message integration

  [1]Thairath TVen.wikipedia.org

  Thairath TV began placing viewer messages from LINE on screen during newscasts, introducing a prominent messaging-based interaction model to Thai television news.

• 2014

  Digital television licence and channel launch

  [1]Thairath TVen.wikipedia.org

  After its operator won a digital television broadcasting licence, Thairath TV began trial broadcasting on 1 April 2014 and entered its daily schedule with launch programming and the Thairath News Show.

• 2014

  Early broadcast-technology deployment

  [1]Thairath TVen.wikipedia.org

  The channel deployed Vizrt broadcast-graphics technology and initially used Dolby-related audio transmission equipment as part of its early technical infrastructure.

A mass-market Thai television channel built around intensive news coverage, supplemented by entertainment, sports, live events, and interactive digital distribution.

• News and current affairs · 2014

  Thairath News Show

  A central Thairath TV news programme and schedule framework. It presents news-intensive programming and has included related discussion and personality-led segments, including Tee Sak Na in weekday primetime. The programme represents the channel's strongest connection to the wider Thairath news operation.

• Television news · 2014

  Thairath TV news broadcasts

  Regular television news coverage forms the core of the channel's identity. Broadcast presentation emphasizes persistent animated graphics, breaking-news treatment, and audience participation through messages submitted via LINE.

• Sports television

  Thairath TV sports broadcasts

  The channel carries selected sports and live sporting events as part of its general-interest schedule. The reference material specifically mentions boxing-related broadcasts, including Toyota Muay Thai League and Suek Yod Muay Thairath.

• Online video and livestreaming

  Thairath TV digital livestreams

  Thairath distributes selected live news, sports, special events, and location-based coverage through its YouTube presence. Depending on the event, the online stream may mirror the television signal or use a separate feed from the venue or reporting site.

• 2015Blind Taste TV

  Thailand

  Thairath TV and the Thailand Association of the Blind participated in the Blind Taste TV campaign, an initiative recognized in the channel's awards and recognition record.

  Outcome. The campaign received four awards in 2015.

  Source

• 2017

  Add a former politician as a primetime news hostOther

  Background

  The channel used prominent public figures to expand the personality and discussion dimensions of its news schedule.

  Action taken

  Chuwit Kamolvisit became host of Tee Sak Na in the weekday primetime Thairath News Show schedule.

  Aftermath

  The appointment added a recognizable political and public-affairs personality to the channel's news-led programming.

  Source

• 2015

  Add LINE-based audience participation to newsStrategy

  Background

  LINE was an important messaging platform for Thai audiences, creating an opportunity to bring viewer contributions into live television.

  Action taken

  The channel began displaying audience messages submitted through Thairath's central LINE account during newscasts.

  Aftermath

  The feature became a notable part of Thairath TV's interactive presentation and was later imitated in various forms by other Thai television channels.

  Source

• 2014

  Launch a Thairath-branded digital terrestrial television channelProduct launch

  Background

  Thailand's digital terrestrial television expansion created an opportunity for the Thairath news group to establish a dedicated television service after its operator won a broadcasting licence.

  Action taken

  Triple V Broadcast launched Thairath TV with trial broadcasting beginning on 1 April 2014, followed by news-led daily programming and a live opening event.

  Aftermath

  The brand developed into a general-interest channel combining news, entertainment, sports, and live coverage.

  Source

• 2014

  Invest in advanced broadcast graphicsStrategy

  Background

  The new channel needed a distinctive visual identity and production infrastructure for digital television news.

  Action taken

  Thairath TV acquired a Vizrt broadcast-graphics management system and used animated on-screen identifiers and programme presentation elements.

  Aftermath

  Persistent and animated graphics became a visible characteristic of the channel's presentation.

  Reported purchase price of Vizrt broadcast-graphics system. US$1.4 million (2014)

  Source

• 2017

  Chuwit Kamolvisit joins Thairath News Show[1]Thairath TVen.wikipedia.org

  Leadership change · Other

  Former politician Chuwit Kamolvisit became a host of the Tee Sak Na programme within the weekday primetime Thairath News Show schedule.

• 2015

  Thairath TV introduces LINE messages into newscasts[1]Thairath TVen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The channel began displaying viewer messages submitted through LINE during newscasts, creating a direct messaging-based participation feature within Thai television news.

• 2014

  Thairath TV begins trial and launch broadcasting[1]Thairath TVen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  Thairath TV began trial broadcasting on 1 April 2014 as a new Thai digital terrestrial channel. Its opening-day schedule included a live launch event and the Thairath News Show.

1. 1Thairath TVen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Thairath TV official television pagethairath.co.th
3. 3HOOQ announces new partnerships at Asia TV Forum 2019indiantelevision.com