Tencent invests US$10.5m in Thai online portal Sanook

Sanook is the leading online service provider for Thai consumers with respect to entertainment, information, commerce and community services. Through its operating subsidiaries, Sanook currently engages in a variety of internet-related businesses, including portal, internet advertising, instant messaging, mobile value-added services, e-commerce, classifieds and casual games.

The deal comes shortly after Tencent reportedly acquired a Google backed Chinese social networking company for US$60 million.

The acquisition marks another step for Tencent, which leads China's online game and instant message markets, as it expand into the social networking sector. 

Aside from Sanook, Tencent has also bought Google-backed Comsenz, a social network and online forum firm in China and paid US$300 million for a 10 per cent stake in Russia internet firm and Facebook investor Digital Sky Technologies.