The top-level domain (TLD) “.TH” is the internet country code for Thailand, reserved for organizations or entities affiliated with this southeast Asian country. It is managed by T.H. NIC Co., Ltd, also commonly referred to as Thai Network Information Center, which is under the supervision of the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society of Thailand, formerly known as the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT).
Technically speaking, a top-level domain (TLD) refers to the last segment of a domain name, coming after the last dot in an Internet address. So, in the case of a domain such as www.example.co.th, “.TH” is the TLD, identifying the website as being associated with Thailand. This system is part of the Domain Name System (DNS) of the internet, which translates human-friendly website names into the numerical IP addresses computers use to connect to the servers hosting these websites.
Any organizations doing business in Thailand, operating online from Thailand, or connecting with a Thai audience, might want to consider registering a “.TH” domain name. Notable uses of the “.TH” domain include government entities, educational institutions, and many businesses operating in Thailand; for example, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (www.mfa.go.th), Chulalongkorn University (www.chula.ac.th), or Thai Airways (www.thaiairways.com).
There are several second-level domain names beneath “TH” that specify the type of organization; for instance, “.CO.TH” for commercial entities, “.GO.TH” for government entities, or “.AC.TH” for academic institutions. Registering a “.TH” domain or a second-level domain has certain requirements depending on the type of the domain. Requirements range from having a local presence in Thailand, to showing relevance of the domain name to the type of the organization.
The “.TH” top-level domain follows the Internationalized Country Code Top-Level Domain (IDN ccTLD) scheme, which means it is also available in the non-Latin Thai script as “.ไทย”, opening up a wider range of possibilities for local language website names catering to Thai speaking audience.
The source for this information includes the official website of Thai Network Information Center and IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority), which is responsible for the global coordination of the DNS Root, IP addressing, and other Internet protocol resources. The definitions and examples build upon commonly accepted internet jargon and networking standards, such as those set forth by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).
Sources:
1. Thai Network Information Center – https://www.thnic.co.th
2. Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) – https://www.iana.org
3. Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (Thailand) – https://www.mdes.go.th
4. Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) – https://www.icann.org
5. “What is a TLD (Top Level Domain)?” – https://www.verisign.com/en\_US/domain-names/online/what-is-a-tld/index.xhtml
