Three major industry organisations are urging Chaichanok Chidchob, the incoming digital economy and society minister, to place the national artificial intelligence policy at the forefront of Thailand’s strategic agenda. They also call for a sharpened focus on sovereign technology development as a cornerstone of the country’s economic resilience and future growth. In their view, the minister should prioritise this policy area while simultaneously reinforcing digital service tax collection, strengthening protections against online scams, and expanding Thailand’s capacity to export digital goods and services. This multi-pronged approach aims to lay a robust foundation for a digital economy that can compete on the global stage and deliver tangible benefits to Thai businesses and consumers.
The urgency of this mission is underscored by the claim that Thailand faces a critical window of less than five years to successfully adapt to and integrate artificial intelligence across government, industry, and society. The direction chosen now by leaders and forward-thinking stakeholders will, according to Djitt Laowatana, who serves as executive director and chairman of the Robotics and AI Committee of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, determine the nation’s long-term economic trajectory—whether it follows a path of growth and competitiveness or declines in relative standing. He stressed that the transition to an AI government is a mandate for the ministry to lead, signaling a shift from piecemeal initiatives to a cohesive, AI-enabled governance model. In this vision, the National Telecommunications (NT) agency should play a central role as the core operational arm within the DES ministry, leveraging its established facilities and technical capabilities to drive the AI transformation agenda.
The context for these recommendations also includes the history of policy development in Thailand. The previous government established a National AI Committee, chaired by the prime minister, signaling a recognition of AI’s strategic importance. However, the committee reportedly met only twice and lacked an explicit, prioritized list of top priorities, which the industry leaders view as a missed opportunity to create a clear, actionable roadmap for reshaping Thailand’s economy in the coming years. In light of this, the incoming minister has been urged to avoid duplicating past missteps and to establish an approach that translates into concrete, measurable outcomes across sectors.
In addition to policy prioritization, the content of the proposals emphasizes reducing dependence on foreign AI platforms by accelerating the development of homegrown capabilities. The emphasis is on building local capacity and ensuring that public AI initiatives are accessible to Thai companies through competitive bidding processes, thereby fostering domestic innovation and keeping the value generated within Thailand. The private sector, in turn, should be incentivized to invest in automation and AI through strategic policy instruments, including BOI incentives that encourage private sector participation in AI-driven automation and digitalization. Given tight public budgets, industry voices underscore the need for a strict public-private partnership (PPP) framework as a fundamental mechanism for delivering large-scale AI projects while maintaining fiscal discipline.
Within this framework, the ministry’s budget allocation is anticipated to reflect a deliberate prioritization of infrastructure and human capital development. The plan calls for roughly 55 percent of the total ministry budget to be directed toward physical and digital infrastructure, the cultivation of human capital, and the execution of bids by Thai firms. This share should also support capacity-building initiatives aimed at expanding Thai expertise in AI, data science, cybersecurity, software engineering, and related disciplines. The remaining funds, according to the proponents, should be allocated to private sector-led application development, with robust government oversight to ensure that technology deployments align with national priorities and ethical standards. This allocation model seeks to balance the need for foundational capabilities with the imperative to translate these capabilities into practical, deployed solutions across government services and enterprise ecosystems.
Beyond policy design and budgetary considerations, the discussion encompasses governance arrangements and institutional alignment. The proposal implies that the DES ministry should take the lead in coordinating AI-driven governance reforms, including setting standards for AI deployment in public services, establishing risk management frameworks, and ensuring transparency and accountability in AI-enabled decision-making. The role of NT as the core operational agency within the ministry is framed as a capability anchor, leveraging its existing network, infrastructure, and technical know-how to accelerate pilots, scale successful projects, and ensure interoperability across agencies and with private sector partners.
In addition to these structural recommendations, there is a clear call to reorient Thailand’s approach toward talent development and capacity-building. The proponents argue that Thailand must allocate resources to train a broad base of local talent to design, build, and maintain AI platforms, pipelines, and services. This includes cultivating deep expertise in machine learning, data engineering, natural language processing, and AI ethics, as well as fostering an entrepreneurial ecosystem that can translate research and development into commercially viable products and services. The emphasis on domestic capability is complemented by a push for public AI projects to be offered for bidding exclusively to Thai companies, while the private sector is encouraged to pursue BOI incentives for automation investments. The overarching aim is to build a self-reinforcing cycle in which local talent, domestic firms, and public sector demand reinforce each other, generating sustainable growth and reducing leakage of capital and know-how to foreign platforms.
Another critical thread in the discourse is the need for policy instruments that create predictable, long-term incentives for investment in technology and digital services. A strict PPP model is highlighted as essential to achieving ambitious AI deployment goals, given fiscal constraints and competing national priorities. In practical terms, this means structuring partnerships that align the incentives of government, industry associations, technology firms, and financiers, with clear milestones, performance metrics, and accountability mechanisms. The policy architecture should include robust procurement rules, transparent bidding processes, and rigorous evaluation criteria to ensure that projects deliver measurable improvements in public service delivery, economic efficiency, and security.
As for how the budget should be applied, the industry voices propose a specific split to support multiple layers of capability development. They argue that 55 percent of the ministry’s budget should be used for infrastructure and for facilitating Thai-led bids and human capital training. This would fund essential digital infrastructure upgrades, secure cloud capabilities, high-speed connectivity, data centers, and the development of training programs to upskill the workforce. The remaining 45 percent would be directed toward application development supported by the private sector, with government oversight to manage risk, ensure compliance with standards, and maintain alignment with national strategies. The aim is to strike a balance between building the foundation required for AI adoption and stimulating private-sector-led innovation that translates into real-world applications.
The broader objective overarching these recommendations is to position Thailand as a regional leader in AI-enabled governance and digital competitiveness. The strategic emphasis on governance, infrastructure, and talent development is designed to create an ecosystem that can produce measurable improvements in productivity, service delivery, and global competitiveness. The industry groups stress that the transition to AI is not merely a technology upgrade; it is a fundamental shift in how government, industry, and society operate, think, and create value. The envisioned framework would enable a more responsive public sector, more efficient business processes, stronger digital export capabilities, and a workforce equipped to thrive in an AI-driven economy.
Exports Within Asean
Pawoot Pongvitayapanu, who serves as honorary president of the Thai e-Commerce Association, articulates a strategic framework for Thailand’s digital transformation that places a premium on collaboration, fairness, growth, and trust. He contends that the ministry should anchor its digital transformation agenda around five strategic pillars, each designed to address key bottlenecks and unlock new economic opportunities for Thai businesses, particularly in e-commerce and cross-border trade within the ASEAN region. The first pillar centers on public–private collaboration. This approach involves actively engaging key industry associations to jointly set key performance indicators (KPIs) and collaborate to enhance e-logistics and smart supply chains. The aim is to create a seamless integration of fulfillment, customs, and payment systems to support cross-border e-commerce, enabling Thai products to be exported through international platforms to ASEAN markets. By doing so, Thailand can resist being overwhelmed by foreign imports and instead position Thai goods as competitive, reliable options in regional and global marketplaces.
In addition to infrastructure and collaboration, the first pillar envisions broader social and economic benefits through the adoption of digital technologies in other sectors. The vision includes deploying e-learning capabilities to broaden the reach of knowledge and skills, expanding telehealth services to improve healthcare access, and applying agricultural blockchain technology to boost transparency, traceability, and efficiency in the farming sector. These applications are framed as both economic enablers and drivers of social impact, reinforcing the case for a holistic digital transformation that benefits workers, farmers, students, and consumers alike.
The second pillar emphasizes ensuring that foreign platforms operate under fair rules that safeguard national interests. A critical element of this pillar is the implementation of a systematic digital service tax collection regime on digital platforms, including global players such as Google, Facebook, TikTok, and Netflix, to increase national revenue. The approach also calls for the Revenue Department to enhance VAT collection on electronic services, ensuring comprehensive tax compliance in the digital economy. A practical policy objective is to require all foreign sellers operating on platforms like Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop to register for tax purposes and remit taxes in Thailand, thereby ensuring that the revenue generated within the country is recorded domestically. This system would be modeled on successful approaches in other regional economies, adapted to Thailand’s context to create a level playing field for Thai enterprises and foreign competitors alike.
A critical corollary of the second pillar is the objective to transform small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) into digital-first businesses, expanding the Thai tech ecosystem and nurturing new unicorns. The third pillar, titled E-Commerce Roadmap 2.0, focuses on building an e-commerce export hub to help Thai SMEs scale their products globally. The aim is to have one million Thai SMEs selling internationally—an ambitious but strategic target designed to deepen market reach, diversify revenue streams, and strengthen national resilience against shocks in traditional trade channels. To facilitate access to finance for SMEs, the plan calls for employing Big Data analytics and an e-know-your-customer (KYC) approach for credit scoring, enabling low-interest, collateral-free loans for SMEs that meet certain risk criteria. This pillar also advocates for prioritizing Thai tech providers in government procurement and state enterprise purchases, thereby creating a stable demand base that can spur investment in local technology innovations.
The fourth pillar concentrates on elevating national capabilities in artificial intelligence. The approach includes establishing AI sandboxes that allow startups and smaller firms to test real-world AI projects in controlled environments. These sandboxes would be complemented by dedicated R&D funding and a clear process for defining use cases with measurable KPIs, ensuring that AI experimentation translates into practical benefits for businesses and public services. The sector would also benefit from a national digital curriculum made freely available or offered at low cost, covering coding, data literacy, AI fundamentals, and cybersecurity. The aim is to partner with the Ministry of Labor to expand access nationwide, ensuring that a broad segment of the population gains essential digital skills and AI literacy necessary to participate in the modern economy.
The fifth pillar centers on Digital Infrastructure and Trust. The vision here is to build a secure, inclusive digital foundation for all citizens and businesses that underpins trustworthy digital activity. A key objective is to establish a Thai-owned National Data Centre and Cloud infrastructure to reduce reliance on foreign providers and strengthen national control over data and critical services. This pillar also calls for the integration of all government services with an existing unified Digital ID system—ThaID—so that mobile devices effectively function as national ID cards. Pathom Indarodom, director of the Digital Council of Thailand, notes that Thailand’s new minister brings fresh energy and genuine tech experience, particularly in e-sports, which represents a welcome departure from past leadership patterns. He argues that the real challenge lies in improving Thailand’s ranking on the IMD Digital Competitiveness Index, and he cautions that progress cannot be achieved through public events alone or mere political gestures; it requires sustained, substantive action across policy, investment, and execution.
The Pillars: A Roadmap for Action
The framework laid out by Pawoot and his colleagues is not simply a set of aspirational statements. It is presented as a practical, multi-layered roadmap designed to translate digital transformation into tangible national gains. Each pillar is intended to interact with the others, creating a synergistic ecosystem where policy, finance, technology, and talent reinforce one another. The emphasis on cross-border e-commerce, cross-platform taxation, and domestic capability-building speaks to a coherent strategy for expanding Thailand’s participation in regional value chains while preserving domestic resilience.
The emphasis on fair rules and tax compliance for foreign platforms reflects a recognition that digital ecosystems do not operate in a vacuum. The policy recommendations view fair competition and tax compliance as prerequisites for sustainable innovation and inclusive growth. By creating a level playing field, Thai SMEs can compete more effectively with multinational platforms, while revenue collection supports continued investment in digital infrastructure, education, and public services. The combination of export-focused goals, digital literacy, and AI-enabled innovation aims to build a fertile environment in which Thai technology firms, startups, and established players can thrive.
In essence, the pillars collectively argue for an integrated approach to digital transformation—one that aligns policy design with market incentives and social objectives. The proposal highlights the need for a national AI strategy that goes beyond pilot projects and rhetoric, embedding AI into core processes, product development, and public service delivery. It also foregrounds the importance of data sovereignty, reliable digital infrastructure, and trust as foundational elements. The approach seeks to ensure that Thailand’s digital transformation yields broad-based benefits across the economy, including stronger e-commerce competitiveness, improved citizen services, enhanced global export potential, and a more skilled workforce.
AI Capabilities, Education, and Infrastructure
In parallel to the macro policy and governance framework, the discussion emphasizes the practical steps necessary to raise Thailand’s AI capabilities and digital literacy. One central idea is to create a national digital curriculum that is freely accessible and affordable, focusing on core competencies in coding, data literacy, AI fundamentals, and cybersecurity. This curriculum would be designed to reach students and workers across the nation, helping to close the digital skills gap and prepare the workforce for advanced roles in AI-enabled industries. The collaboration with the Ministry of Labor would be a key mechanism for scaling access to training and upskilling programs across urban and rural areas alike.
The concept of AI sandboxes is presented as a practical tool to bridge research and commercial deployment. Startups and established firms could test AI projects in controlled environments that simulate real-world conditions while providing access to R&D funding and mentorship. Defining practical use cases with clear KPIs ensures that experimentation translates into measurable outcomes, including efficiency improvements, cost reductions, and enhanced service delivery. The sandboxes would serve as a pipeline for translating academic and corporate research into commercially viable products that can be scaled, adopted by public agencies, and integrated into the broader digital economy.
A secure and inclusive digital foundation is another cornerstone of the proposed approach. By building a Thai-owned National Data Centre and Cloud, the plan seeks to reduce dependence on foreign providers and to strengthen data sovereignty. The integration of all government services through ThaID would turn mobile devices into national identification tools, enabling a more seamless and secure citizen experience. This digital infrastructure is positioned as critical to enabling trusted digital interactions, protecting sensitive data, and supporting a wide range of AI-enabled services across public and private sectors.
Leadership and the Digital Competitiveness Challenge
Pathom Indarodom, who leads the Digital Council of Thailand, comments on the current moment with cautious optimism. He suggests that the incoming minister’s background in technology and e-sports brings a fresh energy that could help catalyze a more coherent and execution-focused policy environment. Yet he also cautions that the real test lies in improving Thailand’s position in the IMD Digital Competitiveness Index. In his view, this ranking is not a product of symbolic gestures or periodic public events; rather, it reflects sustained progress across multiple dimensions of digital readiness, policy quality, business and innovation ecosystems, and the ability to deliver results that improve citizens’ lives. The implication is that the new administration must go beyond symbolism and implement concrete reforms that drive measurable improvements in competitiveness, productivity, and resilience.
Conclusion
In summary, Thailand’s industry leaders are urging the incoming DES minister to place national AI policy at the center of the country’s economic and technological strategy. They advocate for sovereign technology development, a more assertive stance on digital tax collection and online safety, and a robust SOC-based approach to governance and infrastructure. The overarching aim is to build a resilient, innovation-driven economy that can compete effectively in ASEAN and beyond, while ensuring that Thai businesses and workers reap tangible benefits from digital transformation. The proposed roadmap emphasizes domestic talent development, strategic public–private collaboration, and carefully calibrated investments in infrastructure, regulation, and capacity-building. The five-pillar model for e-commerce and digital transformation offers a comprehensive blueprint that links policy, finance, technology, and human capital in a coherent growth strategy. As Thailand advances its digital agenda, stakeholders stress the importance of clear priorities, accountable governance, and sustained execution to realize the country’s vision of an AI-enabled future and a leading position in regional digital competitiveness.
