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Key Findings
Thailand’s digital economy is expanding rapidly, supported by rising adoption of cloud services, growing AI usage, and continued investment in data infrastructure. However, foundational gaps in skills, governance, interoperability, and institutional coordination continue to limit the full benefits of digital transformation.
1. Thailand’s path to high-income status hinges on accelerating an inclusive and data-driven digital transformation.
To reach its goal of attaining upper-income status by 2037, Thailand must diversify into the digital economy and harness digital transformation across traditional sectors. However, digital skills shortages and uneven broadband access continue to constrain progress—particularly for rural communities, SMEs, and government agencies moving to cloud- and data-driven systems. Strengthening data infrastructure and enabling effective data use are foundational to realizing Thailand’s digital ambitions.
2. Stronger data regulations, but implementation challenges persist
Thailand has strengthened its data protection framework through the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) and related regulations, but businesses continue to face uncertainty about compliance and data-sharing rules. Cross-border data frameworks and open data policies lag those of regional leaders, constraining innovation and private-sector participation in the data economy.
3. Digital government services are expanding, but systems remain fragmented
Platforms such as the GDX have improved data exchange, yet Thailand’s digital government landscape is still characterized by siloed systems, overlapping mandates, and limited interoperability, particularly in the social sector. Adoption of AI and advanced analytics across government remains low.
4. Cloud and AI infrastructure improving, but depth of use remains limited
New investments from hyperscalers have strengthened Thailand’s cloud and data center capacity. However, AI adoption among individuals and firms remains far below the regional average, constrained by limited government strategies and fundings to promote AI use. Public agencies and MSMEs also continue to face challenges with interoperability, data governance, skilled talent, and the capacity to apply advanced analytics at scale.
5. MSMEs are digitally connected, but advanced digital capabilities and skills remain shallow
Most MSMEs now use digital platforms for daily operations, yet adoption of advanced tools—such as data analytics, automation, and export-oriented e-commerce—remains limited. Skills gaps, regulatory uncertainty, and restricted access to data continue to hold back productivity and innovation among small firms.
6. Sectoral data use cases, such as social protection, remain siloed
The deep-dive assessment of data use in social protection sector finds that Thailand’s social protection ecosystem remains fragmented, lacking both a sectoral data governance framework and a federated social registry. Limited interoperability and analytics capacity reduce the effectiveness of targeting, coordination, and policy planning.
7. A phased national roadmap remains critical
The Digital Data Infrastructure Roadmap (2025–2029) provides a comprehensive plan to strengthen data infrastructure, governance, cybersecurity, AI implementation, and analytics capacity. While Thailand’s starting point has improved, reforms must now focus on raising the quality, depth, and trustworthiness of digital and data use across the public and private sectors.