Thailand's AI Ambitions Face Race Against Time, Leaders Warn

Thailand's ambition to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) for economic growth is on the right track, but a critical race against time looms, according to digital industry leaders. While the nation's AI strategy is moving forward, there's a significant risk that policies may not translate into tangible economic power before opportunities are lost.

Industry executives emphasize the urgent need to accelerate execution. Key priorities include widening AI access for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and establishing a robust national data infrastructure. Without these advancements, Thailand risks falling behind in the global AI economy, potentially becoming dependent on foreign technology rather than a creator or innovator.

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We must accept the reality that Thailand is not in a position to compete in building infrastructure against superpowers like the US or China. Instead, the strategic position where we can win and create a competitive advantage is by becoming a 'super integrator' -- fully applying and integrating AI software to drive our business core.

Voranuch Dejakaisaya, executive chairman of Kasikorn Business-Technology Group, highlighted that Thailand cannot realistically compete with global superpowers like the U.S. or China in building AI infrastructure. Instead, she proposed a strategic focus on becoming a "super integrator." This involves fully applying and integrating AI software to enhance core business operations, creating a competitive advantage through effective implementation rather than foundational development.

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As Thailand enters the next phase of the AI race, the focus must shift towards building sustainable domestic capability. True economic competitiveness will come from moving beyond technology consumption to developing our own local AI systems.

Dejakaisaya acknowledged the government's positive steps, particularly in fostering collaboration between educational institutions and big tech companies to develop a ready workforce. However, she stressed the urgent need to bridge the gap by 2027, focusing on speed and reducing the digital divide for SMEs. She also called for every organization to immediately develop generative AI usage policies.

Keng Teik Koay, group chief executive of Amity, a Bangkok-based AI startup, echoed the sentiment, urging a shift towards building sustainable domestic capabilities. He stated that true economic competitiveness stems from developing local AI systems, not just consuming foreign technology. Koay identified foundational infrastructure, including domestic compute capacity, localized datasets for the Thai language, and secure data-sharing frameworks, as critical missing pieces. He also emphasized the need to close the technical talent gap, ensuring local businesses can practically integrate AI for growth and maintain workforce readiness.

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The talent gap includes a shortage of data scientists and technical professionals who know how to deploy and scale AI within an enterprise. Subsidising tool access is temporary; we need long-term training pipelines.