Microsoft Corp. has announced sweeping commitments to advance Thailand’s digital economy and workforce through new cloud infrastructure, artificial intelligence (AI) skilling programs, and support for the nation’s developer community.
The initiatives, unveiled Wednesday by Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella at the “Microsoft Build: AI Day” event in Bangkok, build upon a memorandum of understanding between Microsoft and the Royal Thai Government to realize the country’s “Ignite Thailand” vision of becoming a regional digital economy hub powered by AI innovation.
“Thailand has an incredible opportunity to build a digital-first, AI-powered future,” Nadella said before an audience of 2,000 developers, business leaders and government officials, including Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. “Our investments in cloud, AI infrastructure and skilling will help organizations across Thailand’s public and private sectors drive new impact and growth.”
At the centerpiece is Microsoft’s plan to establish a new datacenter region in Thailand to expand availability of its hyperscale cloud services. The datacenter will facilitate enterprise-grade cloud computing with robust data residency and compliance capabilities – enabling Thai enterprises and the public sector to capitalize on the substantial economic opportunities of advanced AI.
Research indicates AI could contribute nearly $117 billion to Thailand’s GDP by 2030 as part of a broader $1 trillion impact across Southeast Asia. To cultivate the necessary skilled workforce, Microsoft unveiled an AI skilling commitment to provide training opportunities for over 100,000 individuals in Thailand by 2025.
A key initiative will focus on enhancing AI proficiency in the vital tourism industry through a program developed alongside Thailand’s digital economy, tourism, labor and education ministries. The initiative aims to empower young entrepreneurs and tourism professionals outside major city centers by training 500 vocational instructors in AI skills specifically tailored for the tourism sector.
“Microsoft’s announcement marks a significant milestone in our ‘Ignite Thailand’ vision to develop the country as an innovation hub bolstering our tech capabilities and knowledge workforce,” said Prime Minister Thavisin. “It promises new opportunities for growth and prosperity through digital transformation.”
Beyond infrastructure and training, Microsoft also pledged robust support for Thailand’s flourishing developer ecosystem. This includes the AI Odyssey program to cultivate 6,000 AI subject matter experts among Thai developers through skills training and Microsoft certifications.
Thailand has emerged as a rapidly growing market for Microsoft’s software development platform GitHub, with over 900,000 developers leveraging its collaboration tools – a 24% year-over-year increase.
Thai enterprises are already reaping productivity gains from Microsoft’s generative AI solutions. Advanced Info Service (AIS), the nation’s largest digital service provider, has boosted workforce efficiency through Copilot for Microsoft 365 and other AI tools. The National Health Security Office has built an AI platform providing personalized healthcare advice to over 66 million citizens. And financial giant SCBX is deploying Azure OpenAI across banking, investment analytics and customer service to save hundreds of thousands annually.
As the AI era takes hold, Microsoft is collaborating with government agencies, major conglomerates and cybersecurity authorities in Thailand to unlock new possibilities through trusted, responsible AI adoption spanning policy, compliance, data insights and online safety.
“We are dedicated to ensuring the benefits of cloud and AI are widespread across Thailand, contributing to national prosperity and inclusiveness,” said Dhanawat Suthumpun, Managing Director of Microsoft Thailand. “Together with our partners, we are laying foundations for a technologically advanced yet sustainable future for all Thais.”
