Esports has been recognised as a professional sport in Thailand ©Getty Images

esports has been officially recognised as a professional sport in Thailand meaning that players and organisations can now be supported by the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT).

esports' popularity has soared in the country with the Thailand E-Sports Federation (TESF) running regular competitions, seminars and workshops.

The sport's global revenues are projected to surpass $1.5 billion (£1.096 billion/€1.279 billion) by 2023.

The Thai Government has caught wind of the industry's potential and has been working alongside the TESF on a number of projects that have provided training to employees to better understand esports and assist them in organising more competitions, it is claimed.

SAT and the Thailand Ministry of Tourism and Sports sponsored esports the Electronic Sports League (ESL) One events for Dota 2 as well as ESL National Tournament events.

Thailand won two gold and two silver medals at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines ©Getty Images
Thailand won two gold and two silver medals at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines ©Getty Images

Thailand boasts one of the oldest esports organisations in Made in Thailand (MiTH) e-Sports.

It was founded in 2007 and has fielded teams in Dota 2, CSGO, Point Blank, Heroes of Newerth, and Starcraft II.

The Government involvement could help Thailand become a prime destination for groups like ESL and the Professional Gamers League (PGL) to host their events.

esports is set to be a medal event at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games in China after featuring in the 2018 edition as a demonstration sport.

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games Organising Committee were in discussions with the International Olympic Committee to consider esports for the event in order to keep it relevant to younger generations.