Thailand Leads World in Cross-Border E-commerce Purchases, AI and Sustainability Expectations Rise

Thailand leads the globe in regular international purchasing, with 34% of shoppers buying cross-border on a weekly basis. The domestic market is also reliant on cash-on-delivery payments and dominated by Shopee in the e-marketplace sector, while social commerce is driven by TikTok and Facebook, according to the "eCommerce Trends 2026" report by DHL eCommerce. Thai shoppers display a willingness to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and are increasingly prioritizing green logistics, noted the report. This momentum underscores how Southeast Asia has emerged as a high-growth region where consumer behavior is driving changes in social commerce, cross-border shopping and AI adoption, according to DHL. "As digital lifestyles evolve across Asia-Pacific, e-commerce success will depend on seamless, personalised experiences that strengthen trust, convenience and choice to build long-term customer loyalty," said Pablo Ciano, chief executive of DHL eCommerce. The global survey was conducted among 29,000 online shoppers across 29 countries and 5,800 online sellers in 28 nations from December 2025 to February 2026. Younger, tech-savvy shoppers are driving global cross-border e-commerce, and Thailand leads the world with 34% of shoppers buying internationally on a weekly basis. Seasonal shopping is huge in Thailand, particularly during the Chinese New Year, with 35% of shoppers making purchases during the holiday (the highest globally), while 95% of businesses run special promotions. Trust is also high, with 67% of shoppers stating they completely or mostly trust seasonal offers. Thailand stands out globally as a market where shoppers expect to browse and buy across multiple channels at above-average rates. Over the next five years, 55% of Thai shoppers plan to use social media more, 49% plan to use retailer websites more, and 46% plan to use apps more, according to the report. Marketplace leader Shopee dominates the Thai market as the preferred platform for 90% of shoppers, and is used by 100% of e-commerce business respondents. For social commerce, 93% of shoppers have purchased via TikTok and 67% via Facebook. In terms of businesses, 100% sell through Facebook, 24% through TikTok and 19% through YouTube. Fulfilment has become a make-or-break factor for conversion, revealing a stark trust gap. While 64% of merchants acknowledge that fulfilment options are critical to securing a sale, 69% of online shoppers will completely abandon a brand if they distrust its logistics provider. Data highlights a glaring disconnect between consumer demands and corporate investment over the next five years. Some 63% of shoppers demand same-day or faster delivery, but only 37% of businesses are prioritising ultra-fast fulfilment. An overwhelming 92% of Thai shoppers prefer home delivery. If not home, 72% prefer redirection to a safe place or a neighbour. Despite this, 66% of merchants are investing heavily in parcel shops and locker locations, even though only 44% of shoppers want them. Premium delivery and returns subscriptions are well-aligned, with 54% of Thai shoppers paying for them and 53% of local businesses offering them. Some 42% of Thai consumers subscribe to at least one delivery programme, and 50% indicate they would consider joining one over the next five years. For shipping items, 48% of Thai businesses drop off shipments at logistics depots, and 45% use parcel lockers. For customer-to-customer sales, 65% of sellers prefer dropping off at parcel shops. Shoppers mainly return items because they are faulty or poor quality (61%), or lost or damaged in transit (59%). Businesses report similar reasons: transit loss or damage (49%) and faulty products (37%). In addition, 31% say shoppers order extra items to qualify for free delivery and later return the surplus. Home collection is the preferred return method (54%), followed by parcel shops (36%). Over the next 12 months, the top logistics investments for Thai businesses are next-day delivery (27%), real-time tracking (26%), and automated/AI fulfilment (21%). AI and Sustainability Roughly 63% of Thai e-commerce businesses use some form of AI, and 58% expect their AI usage to increase over five years. Among shoppers, 44% expect to use AI-powered chats and virtual assistants more frequently in the coming years. Thai shoppers have strict environmental expectations, as 46% state they will only buy from retailers who partner with sustainable delivery and return providers. In addition, 35% of Thai shoppers in Thailand are embracing biometric payments, highlighting an openness to emerging checkout technologies.