Thai Businesses Embrace AI As Digital Readiness Grows
Thai businesses are increasingly adopting AI and strengthening cybersecurity as digital readiness grows, though small and medium enterprises still struggle with talent shortages and need government support to scale operations.
As digital technology becomes central to economic growth, business operations, and daily life, the ability of entrepreneurs to adapt is crucial to national competitiveness. A survey by Thailand's National Digital Economy and Society Committee (BDE) examining digital readiness levels under the 2025 Thailand Digital Outlook initiative shows that Thai digital businesses are entering the digital economy era more tangibly. The survey demonstrates that Thai entrepreneurs have significantly increased their digital readiness, especially in AI adoption and cybersecurity infrastructure strengthening, reflecting the sector's shift toward the digital economy.
BDE Secretary-General Wetang Phuangsap stated that this year's survey results are "good news for Thailand" because Thai digital entrepreneurs have shown clear progress in digital readiness compared to the previous year, successfully advancing from the initial stage of digital transformation to a moderate readiness level.
AI and cybersecurity have emerged as two positive indicators for Thai businesses. Among 834 surveyed digital entrepreneurs, the average digital maturity level score was 2.12 out of 4 points—an increase of 0.56 points from the previous year, reflecting the sector's continuous adaptation.
AI has become the most popular advanced technology among Thai digital entrepreneurs at 21.18 percent adoption, the highest rate compared to other digital technologies like Blockchain (20.09 percent) and Big Data Analytics (19.88 percent). Notably, cybersecurity infrastructure readiness has shown significant improvement, which is a critical foundation for digital-era business operations.
"Thai companies are clearly using AI more when compared to the previous year," Wetang said, noting that the survey reflects the business sector's awakening to applying digital technology to improve efficiency and create new business opportunities.
SMEs Still Need Support in Talent and Skills
Despite the positive overall trend, the survey also revealed significant challenges for Thai digital entrepreneurs, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Wetang noted that a recurring issue identified in surveys over several years is the "human resources" factor. Most SMEs lack sufficient resources and struggle to attract or retain AI and cybersecurity experts compared to larger organizations, requiring additional government support in knowledge, skills, and access to technology. Additionally, while AI usage has increased, most applications remain in experimental or pilot project phases rather than full-scale business implementation, presenting an important opportunity for Thailand to accelerate development.
BDE's Role in Creating Digital Opportunities for All Sectors
As the agency overseeing the country's digital policy, BDE is not limited to data collection and situation assessment but also serves to promote digital technology access across the public, business, and government sectors.
