FDI Spotlight | Thailands ICT Sector Overview

Thailands ICT Sector Overview

Thailand is becoming a thriving centre for information and communication technology among the ASEAN technological community. The government and private sector are each playing key roles in encouraging the massive technological movement. What are the specific functions of the government and the private sector in the advancement of Thailand’s ICT sector?

Smartphone Usage in Thailand

The average Thai consumer uses their smartphones about 176 times a day. Covering all areas from Facebook to e-commerce, the internet and smartphones are becoming facets of Thailand’s ICT sector and everyday life.

Technological growth is parallel to innovation and understanding
of consumer needs. In an interview with FDI Spotlight, leaders at Suvitech, a leading ICT company in Thailand, said, “Thailand is the connectivity hub of the region as we have the best air connectivity, road network, mass transit and logistics infrastructure in the region.”

Smartphones have now become the item consumers can utilise to access the internet first-hand. They are also not as expensive as they were eight years ago when the smartphone technological explosion occurred. Nowadays, smartphones are an item demanded and used by almost everyone. As smartphones become more affordable, there is less growth expected in this sector. The penetration rate for smartphones is also expected to reach past 70 % of the population, and the growth rate is projected to slow down tremendously. Unless there are innovations made to smartphones, Thailand wants to focus its attention on new technologies.

Role of Private Companies

Private companies like Suvitech are looking forward to investing in Thailand’s ICT Sector. In an interview with FDI Spotlight, Mr Ravi Bhatia and Mr Subin Bhatia, directors of Suvitech, said, “We believe it’s realistic for Thailand to become the infrastructure ICT hub of the region.”

Thailand’s ICT sector needs to focus on innovation and sustaining growth for consumers. Since smartphones have hit their prime in the ICT sector, wearable technology is the next step. Wearable technology has not been gaining much attention, but that is only because they are not made necessary in everyday life. Once the wearable technology becomes
essential, there will be a sharp acceleration of consumers purchasing such items.

Commercial Sector

Thailand’s commercial ICT is making a head start in being a leading force in the technological sector. Companies are adopting 3rd Platform technologies to stay a force to be reckoned with in the industry. Thailand’s
government has been consistently promoting technological firms and investing in new technological opportunities that would allow Thailand to improve its ICT sector.

Data centres are essential to creating massive technological hubs in a country. Thailand had developed its data centre irregularly and locally. To fix the issue, the government is aligning with the private sector to build Thailand’s digital campaign.

Phuket is planned to become Thailand’s “first smart city”. Along with becoming a smart city comes laws that keep cyberbullying in check. Thailand’s government is thinking ahead to prevent problems other countries have faced with the explosion of the internet. With the expansion of LTE-Advanced, internet usage on smartphones is expected to increase. LTE-A offers high-speed internet that would benefit the Thai population. This opens a new market for smartphones since not many devices used in Thailand can process the LTE-A service.

Between 2009 and 2013, the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology established Thailand’s ICT Main Plan. The plan focuses on the society itself, and how knowledge can be spread to produce graduates who work in high-level jobs. To solidify these plans, MICT has made a plan to last till 2020.