The Development of E-sports and Intercultural Communication towards Thailand’s Digital Learning Society

Abstract

The study aimed to investigate the influence of government support, technology acceptance, management innovation, and intercultural communication on the development of E-sports as a mechanism for promoting Thailand’s digital learning society. The study used a mixed-methods research approach integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches. The quantitative sample consisted of 360 professional E-sports athletes registered with the Thailand E-sports Association, selected through stratified sampling using a Likert-scale questionnaire. The qualitative component involved semi-structured in-depth interviews with 11 key informants, including representatives from government agencies, Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), while qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis. The findings revealed that government support significantly influenced technology acceptance, management innovation, and intercultural communication. Technology acceptance positively affected management innovation, intercultural communication, and E-sports development within the digital learning society. Furthermore, management innovation positively influenced intercultural communication and the development of E-sports in Thailand. Intercultural communication emerged as a particularly influential factor in promoting collaborative learning, global digital interaction, and participation within multicultural digital environments. The qualitative findings supported the quantitative results, indicating that the government plays an important role in policy formulation, digital infrastructure development, financial support, and the promotion of digital competencies necessary for sustainable E-sports development. Informants also emphasized that E-sports platforms support experiential learning, teamwork, problem-solving, digital literacy, and intercultural communication among youth in online environments. In addition, management innovation and technology acceptance were identified as important mechanisms for developing digital learning platforms, enhancing audience engagement, and creating new forms of collaborative learning within digital society. The study highlights that E-sports should not be viewed solely as a form of entertainment or commercial activity, but also as an important platform for lifelong learning, intercultural collaboration, and the development of 21st-century skills in the digital era.