Thailand has approved a sweeping 25-billion-baht investment plan aimed at accelerating artificial intelligence development across the country over the next two fiscal years, signaling a major step forward in its national digital strategy.
Key takeaways
- Thailand has approved a ฿25 billion budget to accelerate nationwide AI development through 2027.
- Nine AI Centres of Excellence will be established across key sectors, with a tenth focused on safety under review.
- Funding priorities include workforce development, infrastructure, and public-private AI consortiums to drive adoption.
The National Artificial Intelligence Committee, which convened earlier this week, endorsed the budget framework as part of a broader effort to implement the National AI Programme, a strategic initiative designed to enhance Thailand’s global competitiveness, improve public services, and elevate the quality of life through AI integration.
The plan includes the establishment of nine dedicated AI Centres of Excellence (CoEs), each targeting a key sector: education, creative industries, agriculture, tourism, healthcare, manufacturing, language processing, public sector computing, and product testing.
A tenth centre focused on AI safety and security is under consideration and received preliminary approval.
Each CoE will be responsible for producing detailed action plans, addressing both operational readiness and implementation, with a deadline set for September 2025.
These centres will serve as focal points for AI research, deployment, and cross-sectoral collaboration.
The approved budget allocates 6 billion baht for developing a skilled AI workforce, 5 billion baht for building and operating the CoEs, and 2 billion baht for establishing a National Data Bank to support data infrastructure and policy.
Collaboration between government agencies and private enterprises will be facilitated through newly formed AI consortiums, encouraging joint ventures, technology sharing, and policy alignment. This approach is expected to fast-track AI adoption across both public and private sectors.
The National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre (Nectec) is positioned to play a key role in leading several CoEs, particularly in areas involving medical technology, education systems, computing infrastructure, and standards development.
One of the initial priorities will be the integration of AI tools in healthcare, including efforts to streamline regulatory processes for AI-enabled medical devices.
Simultaneously, the education sector will see the introduction of AI curricula at all levels, from primary schools to vocational training, to build foundational knowledge and long-term national capacity.
Further agency assignments and budget allocations will be finalized in upcoming committee meetings, as the government moves to operationalize the initiative and position Thailand as a regional AI innovation hub.
