AI Era Threatens Thai Music: Artists Battle Copyright Issues on Digital Platforms

Thailand’s traditional music industry is confronting an existential threat as AI-generated covers of Thai songs flood digital platforms, eroding royalties and revenue for artists and composers. According to Thai PBS, the public broadcaster’s June 2026 forum “เพลงครูในยุค AI” (Music Teachers in the AI Era) brought together rights holders, tech firms, and policymakers to address how unlicensed AI-generated music—often indistinguishable from human performances—is undermining the livelihoods of Thai musicians.

The problem has escalated as foreign-backed platforms and startups deploy AI tools to replicate Thai folk, classical, and pop songs without compensation, industry sources told Vietnam.vn and Amrin TV. One Thai composer, speaking anonymously to Amrin TV, estimated that AI-generated versions of traditional luk thung and mor lam tracks now account for up to 30% of streams on some digital platforms, a figure corroborated by data from the Thai Copyright Society (TCS). “We’re seeing entire catalogs of 20th-century Thai music being scraped and repurposed without consent,” said a TCS spokesperson.

Unlike Western markets, where AI music regulations are still evolving, Thailand’s legal framework for digital royalties remains fragmented. The 2026 forum highlighted that most AI-generated content on platforms like Spotify, TikTok, and niche Thai streaming services operates in a legal gray area, with no mandatory licensing fees for training data or output. “The current law treats AI as a ‘tool,’ not a creator,” explained Assoc. Prof. Supachai Thongchai, a digital property law expert at Chulalongkorn University, in remarks to Thai PBS. “But when an AI ‘sings’ a Thai love song in the voice of a late legend, who gets paid?”

The stakes are highest for Thailand’s luk thung and mor lam artists, whose music—once the backbone of rural culture—now faces piracy rates exceeding 60% on unregulated platforms, per a 2026 report by the Thai Music Producers Association (TMPA). “A single AI-generated cover can generate thousands of views overnight, while the original artist gets nothing,” said Nattaporn Thongmee, a mor lam guitarist whose 1998 hit “Rak Kan Rak” has been replicated by at least five AI tools. “We’re not just competing with other artists anymore—we’re competing with algorithms.”

Industry insiders say the crisis reflects a broader global trend, but Thailand’s lack of centralized copyright enforcement exacerbates the issue. While the U.S. and EU have begun debating AI music royalties—with the EU Copyright Directive proposing “AI training data taxes” in 2025—Thailand’s Department of Intellectual Property has yet to issue guidelines specific to AI-generated music. “We’re playing catch-up,” admitted Worawut Suthisarn, director of the Thai Copyright Society, in an interview with Vietnam.vn. “By the time we draft rules, the tech will have moved on again.”

Why is this happening now?

The surge in AI-generated Thai music coincides with two key developments: the 2024 launch of Suno AI and Boomy in Southeast Asia, and the region’s rapid shift to digital consumption. According to IFPI’s 2025 Thailand Music Report, digital streams now account for 78% of Thai music revenue—up from 42% in 2020—yet only 12% of those streams generate royalties for rights holders. “Platforms profit from AI-generated content because it’s cheap to produce and endlessly reproducible,” said Kanokporn Chaiyaporn, CEO of Thai streaming service LINE MANGA, in a Thai PBS panel discussion. “But the artists who built those cultures? They’re left holding the bag.”

One potential solution gaining traction is Thailand’s proposed “Digital Content Fairness Act,” currently under review by the National Legislative Assembly. The bill would require AI training datasets to include opt-out clauses for copyrighted works and mandate revenue-sharing for AI-generated outputs that mimic human artists. However, critics warn the legislation may face delays, given Thailand’s history of slow copyright enforcement. “Even if the law passes, we need a way to prove when AI is using stolen data,” said Dr. Pimchanok Wongwanich, a digital forensics expert at Mahidol University, in remarks to Amrin TV. “Right now, platforms just delete the original artist’s track and replace it with the AI version.”

What happens next for Thai artists?

In the short term, artists and rights groups are turning to grassroots solutions. The Thai Music Producers Association has launched a “Watermark Initiative,” embedding digital fingerprints in original recordings to track AI replicas. Meanwhile, platforms like JOOX Thailand have begun labeling AI-generated content—though enforcement remains inconsistent. “We’re seeing some platforms cooperate, but others treat this as a PR problem, not a legal one,” said Nattaporn, the mor lam guitarist.

Long-term, the future of Thai music may hinge on whether policymakers treat AI as a disruptor or a collaborator. While some tech firms argue AI can “preserve” endangered Thai musical traditions, artists and composers see it as a direct threat. “AI isn’t going away,” said Supachai Thongchai, the law professor. “But if we don’t act now, the next generation of Thai musicians might not have a way to make a living from their own work.”

For now, the debate rages on—with Thai PBS’s forum serving as a rare moment of unity among an industry at risk of being silenced by the very technology meant to amplify it.