Transformation of Thai audiovisual translation practice: an exploratory observation of Thai media audience

This article examines the transformation of audiovisual translation (AVT) practices in online environments, focusing on Thai media audiences. Digital advancements have enabled media users to actively participate in translation production and circulation, giving rise to non-professional AVT practices, such as fansubbing. However, legislation regulating the control of authorised audiovisual content and the introduction of streaming services may have resulted in a shift in AVT practices in the Thai setting. The article seeks to clarify the changes in these practices through a preliminary descriptive analysis based on the researcher’s observations of media audiences’ behaviour in response to these impacts. The study draws on the Actor-Network Theory (ANT) to highlight how digital technologies act as key non-human actors and to investigate how they interact with human actors, i.e. audiences, in the network of AVT practices. Despite a limited number of qualitative observations, the findings indicate that Thai AVT practices, especially those conducted by non-professionals, are evolving, as shown in audience participation on digital media platforms. These initial results call for further thorough investigation into the dynamic network of AVT from a Southeast Asian perspective, perhaps overlooked in a global context.