Thailand Toy Expo 2025, the biggest toy event in the country, is back from 3–6 April 2025. This annual event brings together toy designers and collectors from all over the world. Besides exploring and shopping for new and exclusive items, one of the highlights that people always look forward to is the Hong Kong Art Toy Story — where organizers bring 20 art toy designers from Hong Kong to meet Thai and international fans every year

Hong Kong Art Toy Story 2025 is held at the Dazzle zone in CentralWorld, with five well-known artists joining to support 15 emerging artists, just like in previous years. We can see that the Innovative Entrepreneur Association continues to host this event to support designers from Hong Kong. Their goal is to draw in art toy fans, who already follow the latest collections from famous artists, into the Hong Kong Pavilion. And of course, once these fans are there, they can't help but explore the interesting works by new designers, who gradually start gaining recognition, following in the footsteps of their seniors.

Looking at the artist lineup for Hong Kong Art Toy Story 2025, there are five well-known names — Winson Ma, a designer who has collaborated with international brands, and Ryan Lee, the creator of Rumbbell, a character that inspires everyone to move their bodies. These two have been attending every year, like big brothers offering comfort and support to the younger artists. Then there's Bee Wong, a designer and comic artist behind Fire Panda, who, even though he hasn't joined the event before, already has a strong following and fans who love his art toys. Also on the list are Helen Tam, known for her cute and heartwarming characters inspired by Hong Kong's food culture, and Joseph Tang (PLANET-X), an architect with a passion for creating sci-fi fantasy characters.

There are also 15 emerging artists selected to join the event this year. Among them, seven have been to Thailand before: Gino Lai (in 2023 and 2024), Tomm Wong (in 2023 and 2024), Victor Wong (in 2023), Keith Li (in 2024), Leo Pak (in 2024), Ricky Chan (in 2024), and Tony Leung (in 2024). The other eight artists joining for the first time are Cax Chan, Clapton Tam, Kin Leung, Kristen Lie, Nicolas Lesaffre, Terry Lam, Universal Basketball League Limited, and Zero Fan.

The ongoing organization of Hong Kong Art Toy Story by the Innovative Entrepreneur Association (IEA) has become an interesting case study. Each year, 20 artists are given the opportunity to showcase their work at the Thailand Toy Expo, which draws no fewer than 400,000 visitors from both Thailand and abroad. This visibility helps the artists and their creations gain recognition. When some of them return in later years, visitors remember them and get to see their artistic growth. Those who were once emerging artists have now become well-known artists with dedicated fan followings. For example, Helen Tam and Joseph Tang (PLANET-X) first joined as emerging artists in 2023 and are already widely recognized by 2025.

Even emerging artists like Gino Lai are starting to gain more followers and fans who stop by to chat about his intricate and detailed artwork. The larger the piece, the quicker it gets snapped up. It's reached a point where we're all eagerly watching to see just how fast his limited editions will sell out.

Tony Leung, the creator of the Ryan Animal Series — a fun collection of animal-themed art toys and quirky characters — sold out all his pieces by the afternoon of the first day at the 2024 event. In 2025, he's returning with a special set of art toys made just for his Thai fans, called 'Moo Deng Tee Ruk (Beloved Moo Deng) '. If you're a fan of his work, make sure to get them early—don't let history repeat itself and miss out again!

These are just a few examples — many more artists are returning to showcase their work and connect with everyone, thanks to the great response they received from visitors. That's why, for art toy collectors, Hong Kong Art Toy Story has become a must-visit event. It's a chance to meet their favorite artists and discover emerging talents who could become big names in the future.

Apart from the skills, talent, and creativity of Hong Kong's art toy designers, government support is also a key factor in helping both artists and the art toy scene grow. Winson Ma said, "The government offers many support programs, which are great for new entrepreneurs looking to join the expo and promote their toy brands." The main supporter of Hong Kong Art Toy Story 2025 is the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA), established to support the development of the arts, culture, and creative industries in Hong Kong. Their focus is on building skills, supporting startups, and positioning Hong Kong as an international cultural exchange hub — making it possible for Hong Kong art toy designers to travel and exhibit their work at this event.

While the Thailand Toy Expo attracts creators, artists, designers, and toy and art toy enthusiasts from around the world, it could also serve as a valuable case study for Thailand. It raises the question of how the government or relevant agencies could support skilled and talented artists, helping them grow and build their careers on an international level.