Thai Businesses Accelerate AI Adoption as Talent Shortage Challenges Digital Transformation

Thai Firms Accelerate AI Adoption Amid Growing Demand for Digital Talent

Thai organisations are increasingly adopting artificial intelligence (AI), while industry leaders urge faster development of specialised digital skills to support this growth. A recent survey by the AI Governance Centre (AIGC) under the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) shows a clear rise in AI adoption and readiness among Thai firms.

The survey indicates that organisations actively using AI rose from 15.2% in 2023 to 17.8% in 2024. Meanwhile, those planning to implement AI jumped from 56.6% to 73.3%. The share of companies neither adopting AI nor seeking support dropped sharply from 28.2% to 8.9%. Awareness of AI adoption also increased, from 45.3% to 55.1% within the same period.

Clear AI Strategies Across Critical Areas

Thai organisations are focusing on five key areas to prepare for AI deployment:

• Data and infrastructure readiness
• Personnel readiness
• Strategic and organisational capabilities
• Governance readiness
• Technological readiness

The primary goals for AI use include boosting competitiveness and sustainable development. Firms aim to promote fair competition, respect human rights, ensure transparency with explainable AI, protect personal data and cybersecurity, eliminate bias, and maintain accuracy and reliability through continuous improvement.

The ETDA encourages organisations to see AI governance not as an obstacle but as an essential framework for ethical and responsible AI deployment. The AIGC supports this effort by providing guidelines for policy, operational procedures, risk analysis, and tools to ensure AI benefits are maximised across industries.

Thailand is also in the process of drafting AI legislation, currently open for public consultation, to formalise these governance principles.

Shortage of Skilled Personnel Remains a Key Barrier

Despite the positive trends, the shortage of qualified AI and digital talent is a significant challenge. Khajonpong Akkarajitsakul, an AI technology expert at Osotspa, highlights this gap as the main hurdle in digital transformation. To address it, Osotspa partners with educational institutions to develop relevant AI curricula and has established internal AI working groups to build expertise and improve operational efficiency.

Oranuch Lerdsuwankij, CEO and co-founder of Techsauce Media, points out that while Thailand’s digital infrastructure is solid, many organisations struggle with data management due to a lack of skilled analysts. Large enterprises usually have sufficient digital professionals, but small and medium-sized enterprises often face capital and personnel constraints, making government support critical.

AI is already improving productivity in sectors like healthcare, agriculture, and manufacturing. Expanding the talent pool could further reduce costs and boost efficiency across industries.

Jarung Kiatsupapong, CIO of KBTG Group, shares that banks use AI for digital lending by analysing customer data to assess loan eligibility. He also notes that AI tools help reduce programming workloads by 40%, increasing overall productivity. Leadership with clear AI vision is key to successful adoption and operational gains.

Building AI Skills for the Future

For IT and product development professionals, the message is clear: investing in AI skills and governance frameworks is essential. Organisations should prioritise building AI capabilities, focusing on ethical use, data protection, and bias mitigation.

For those looking to expand their AI knowledge and skills, exploring courses on platforms like Complete AI Training can provide practical, up-to-date learning paths tailored to industry needs.

Adopting AI responsibly and developing specialised talent will be crucial for Thai firms to stay competitive and sustainable in the evolving digital economy.