Yossakorn Champions Thailand's Transformation into an AI Creator, Accelerating New Economic Engine and Securing Data Sovereignty
Thailand's deputy PM unveiled plans to transform the country from a technology consumer into an AI innovator, launching initiatives to boost productivity in agriculture and SMEs while developing a domestic AI model to protect data sovereign
On May 5, 2025, at Chulalongkorn University's Phra Keaw Hall, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Yossakorn Wongswasdi presided over the opening ceremony of the Network for Executive Xceleration & Unbounded Scale (NEXUS AI) curriculum batch 2, alongside special keynote remarks. Chulalongkorn University executives, the vice dean of the Faculty of Engineering, and senior artificial intelligence officials from both the public and private sectors participated in the event.
Yossakorn stated that the government is accelerating the implementation of artificial intelligence policies to elevate Thailand's competitive capabilities, with the aim of integrating knowledge and applying it across all dimensions, from agriculture and public health to biotechnology and advanced technologies such as Physical AI and Digital Twin.
The ultimate goal is to transform Thailand from merely being a technology user dependent on foreign technology into a developer of its own AI innovations, establishing a solid technological foundation essential for the future. He further noted that although AI adoption rates in Thailand currently remain below 20 percent and governance development still requires acceleration, AI will serve as a crucial mechanism to catalyze a dramatic surge in gross domestic product growth.
The primary strategy involves deploying AI to enhance production efficiency in foundational sectors such as agriculture, SME businesses, and services, while simultaneously creating a new growth engine by advancing AI applications in high-value industries like the wellness economy and space economy. This includes encouraging private sector investment in research and development to create added value and attract foreign investment.
Another urgent priority is safeguarding data sovereignty through the promotion and development of a Thai Large Language Model to ensure the country possesses its own data processing infrastructure without solely relying on foreign platforms. The government also aims to build AI literacy across the population, targeting at least one in three Thai citizens with foundational AI knowledge to enable them to adapt to and benefit from AI effectively. Establishing this comprehensive ecosystem will be a critical variable enabling Thailand to advance toward a sustainable future, Yossakorn concluded.
