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Thailand has the third-highest number of UHNWIs—people with assets over $30 million—in Southeast Asia, just behind Singapore and Indonesia. That cohort is expected to increase by 14.7% by 2028, according to property consulting firm Knight Frank.

With a booming economy and a flourishing middle class, Indonesia has become an intense battleground for leading ecommerce players, including Shopee, Tokopedia, and TikTok Shop.

The Southeast Asia coverage in the Global Media Intelligence Report includes poll results from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Western Europe’s retail sales growth will tick up slightly in 2025, and major markets like India, Southeast Asia, and Latin America will continue on their previously expected trajectories. Ecommerce sales growth worldwide will decline this year but rebound in 2026. China heavily drives the worldwide ecommerce figures.

TikTok Shop leverages the popularity of short video and livestreaming in Southeast Asia. TikTok Shop is on the verge of surpassing Lazada’s sales in Southeast Asia (not including Tokopedia, the retailer acquired by TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance). While Shopee’s sales far exceed TikTok Shop’s, the latter is growing faster.

Some are looking to shift production elsewhere, such as to Southeast Asia, which is for the time being safe from tariffs. But the most likely outcome is that consumers will be forced to shoulder most of the cost increases, which will hurt sales for even value-oriented retailers like Walmart and Costco.

Standing out in a sea of platforms: Neptune aims to reward creativity with diverse monetization streams, including tips, subscriptions, and livestreams. The app is shifting focus away from algorithms and metrics to reduce performative stress on creators.

But other regions are gaining—China led in AI publications and patents, and high-quality models are emerging from the Middle East, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. Overall, AI optimism is growing, with some divides: 83% of people in China think AI services and products are more beneficial than harmful, compared with 40% of Canadians and 39% of people in the US.

Bloomberg reports that construction slowdowns in Ohio, the UK, and Southeast Asia are linked to rising material costs and tariff-related uncertainty. These pullbacks, while described as demand-aligned, may also reflect growing industry concerns over AI overcapacity. Our take: Microsoft is proving that it’s more than a one-note cloud player.

Sea of content: Netflix remains the leader among connected TV (CTV) streaming apps, thanks to its mix of original titles, live programming, and licensed content. It’s also one of the only top streamers that doesn’t sell à la carte titles on top of subscriptions, like YouTube and Prime do.