Thailand's mobile gaming market can expect to reap the benefits of Pokemon Go mania, opening a new chapter in the industry's future growth.
Mobile operators, meanwhile, can also expect to enjoy a tremendous increase in internet use from Pokemon Go.
Smartphone vendors should enjoy immense opportunities from the popular game that requires users to own a phone with an advanced operating system with fast speeds, say IT experts.
- Main story: NBTC demands 'Pokemon-No' zones
Uber, the US-based ride-sharing mobile app, is also riding the phenomenon of Pokemon Go by offering a personal driver for players.
The game was adapted to the mobile internet age by US-based Niantic Labs, a company spun out of Google last year.
Jarit Sidhu, research manager for Asia-Pacific at IDC, said Pokemon Go is expected to attract many first-time mobile game players in Thailand in a market with 15 million gamers.
"It might be time now for smartphone owners with 18-24 months of use to replace their phones in the wake of Pokemon Go," he said.
Minimum requirements for a smartphone to run Pokemon Go include a 1.3-GHz quad core with 2 gigabytes of RAM, preferred screen resolution of 720*1280, Android system with version 4.4 and up, built-in GPS or a location-based gyroscope sensor.
All these requirements will be provided for smartphones priced over 4,000 baht.
In the US and some other countries, Pokemon Go has caused a 50% rise in power bank sales, Mr Jarit said, noting that the game causes high battery use because the GPS and app must be open at all times.
The Pokemon Go craze finally hit Thailand on Saturday with enthusiastic players braving freeway traffic to catch the cute critters on their smartphones. Thailand is among 15 Asia-Pacific countries that can play the smash-hit augmented reality game.
App Annie, the San Francisco-based app analytics firm, reports that Pokemon Go now ranks as Thailand's top downloaded free app on both Android's Play Store and Apple's iOS. The exact number of downloads has not been disclosed.
In Thailand, True, through its subsidiary True Content and Media, won the rights in 2014 to exclusively sell Pokemon items and develop a localised version of Pokemon video games with characters and themes unique to Thailand.
True also holds the sole rights to do marketing and information releases in country in collaboration with Niantic.
Since its global launch, Pokemon Go has sparked a worldwide frenzy among users who have taken to the streets with their smartphones.
The viral game uses satellite locations, graphics and camera capabilities to overlay cartoon monsters onto real-world settings, challenging players to capture and train the creatures for battles.
Some autocratic countries such as Iran have even banned the game.
Pramoth Sudjitporn, chief executive of SET-listed Asiasoft Corporation, the online entertainment leader in Southeast Asia, said he thought Pokemon Go would be a big hit among hundreds of thousands of first-time mobile game players.
Thais install 3-5 mobile games on their smartphones per person.
Mr Pramoth said the normal life cycle of most blockbuster mobile games is 6-12 months, compared with just 3-6 months for general mobile games.
Pratthana Leelapanang, executive vice-president for marketing at Advanced Info Service, said Pokemon Go would have minimal impact in driving operators' mobile data traffic. Video streaming accounts for 60% of operators' data bandwidth capacity.
Nakrop Niamnamtham, managing director of nForce Secure, a distributor of IT security solutions, said Pokemon Go has nothing to do with mobile security concerns. "It's all about personal physical safety risks," he said.