The Creative Economy Agency (Public Organization), or CEA, has officially hosted the Creative Excellence Awards 2026 for its fourth consecutive year, recognizing 15 award categories across 16 outstanding model projects that apply creativity to boost the national economy, enhance quality of life, and foster tangible social development.
Strategic Drive for Thailand’s THB 1.63 Trillion Creative Economy
Thailand’s creative industries have expanded rapidly, growing from THB 1.1 trillion to THB 1.63 trillion within three years, which accounts for 8% of the country’s GDP and generates employment for nearly one million people across 15 creative sectors.
Presiding over the awards ceremony, Mr. Napintorn Srisunpang, Minister Attached to the Prime Minister’s Office, highlighted the importance of leveraging the nation’s 700-year-old cultural foundation and transforming assets into tangible economic value that aligns with modern consumer lifestyles.
“To truly drive the creative economy to fruition, all factors are essential—whether it is urban development, product manufacturing, or local participation. But the most critical heart is ‘starting with people.’ This requires close integration and collaboration between the public sector, the private sector, and civil society to inspire and empower the new generation to understand the value of Thai identity, train their mindset, and dare to innovate, invent, and bring creative works to the market.” — Mr. Napintorn Srisunpang, Minister Attached to the Prime Minister’s Office
Mr. Napintorn emphasized that the government acts as a facilitator, knowledge aggregator, and market connector rather than directly competing in manufacturing or trade.
Global Benchmarks and International Recognition
Selected from more than 500 candidate organizations, the awarded projects serve as benchmarks to inspire wider adoption and propel Thai creative works onto global stages.
Mrs. Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, Board Member of the Creative Economy Agency, noted that Thai creative standards are consistently gaining international recognition, as evidenced by works recognized at the 2025 awards securing three accolades at the Paris Design Awards 2026 in France and one at the Creative Tourism Awards in Spain. The event also hosted an international keynote titled “Design as the Pillar of ‘Made in Italy’ Global Prestige” by Perla Gianni Falvo, Executive Board Member of the Association for Industrial Design (ADI), alongside panel discussions on scaling local cultural capital internationally.
16 Award Recipients Across Three Core Categories
The 2026 awards recognized 16 projects divided into three major pillars:
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Creative City Awards: Honors initiatives that enhance public spaces, policy, and urban identity. Winners include DEATH FEST. by Thai Health Promotion Foundation, Peaceful Death, The Cloud, and Choojai & Friends (Creative City Festival); Brand Identity for Nakhon Phanom by Provincial Community Development Office of Nakhon Phanom, designed by TWODOORS STUDIO (Creative City Branding); City Expo – The Pitching 2025 by TCEB (Creative City Policy); ARTCHANGEBURI by d Kunst Art Space, designed by Wasinburee Supanichvoraparch, and A Decade of the Bangkok Flower Market Regeneration by Humans of Flower Market and Faculty of Architecture, Silpakorn University, designed by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Supitcha Tovivich and partners (Creative City Regeneration); and Proactive Highland Empowerment by Chiang Mai Highland People Development Center (Creative City Collaboration).
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Creative Business Awards: Recognizes commercial models, technological integration, and sustainable business practices. Recipients include EKOBLOK lightweight masonry by Ekoconcrete Co., Ltd., designed by Thanakorn Prisawong (Creative IP); G Collection: Glass-Leg Furniture Series by TAKEHOMEDESIGN, designed by Paphop Wongpanich (Creative Transformation); Routes to Roots mobile data tourism initiative by the Center of Excellence in Social Design, Chulalongkorn University, designed by Asst. Prof. Dr. Nattapong Punnoi (Creative Data); KANIVA No Pet Beauty Standard by Choojai & Friends and KANIVA Pet Food (Creative Campaign); and the generative AI architectural platform Spacely AI by Spacely AI Co., Ltd. (Creative Commerce).
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Creative Social Impact Awards: Celebrates projects delivering societal solutions and environmental sustainability. Awardees include Charoen Krung (Old) School by In Our Hood from Punpromotion Co., Ltd. (Creative Inclusivity); Dogs & the CITY by BKK Dog Society (Creative Well-Being); Baan Im-jai: A Homeless Oasis and Reintegrating Human Capital by Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and design/welfare partners including Bangkok City Lab and AAD-KMITL (Creative Equality); TORTHAI architectural modular toy by Napat Kwanmuang (Creative Education); and the circular-economy pavilion Next Use Project by Looklen Architects for ASA ARCHITECT EXPO 2026 (Creative Green).
All 16 award-winning initiatives will receive continuous support from CEA through exhibitions, collaborative networking platforms, business matching programs, and international creative showcases. Detailed project information is accessible via the official agency portal at www.cea.or.th.
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