Thailand Accelerates Digital Strategies and Prepares for US-Sino Trade War

Thailand is preparing new digital policies to counter the impacts of the U.S.-China rivalry on its economy and technology.

At the National Defence College, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra of Thailand stated that the country will accelerate policies aimed at boosting its digital economy, with a goal of contributing 30% of GDP by 2030, while enhancing national cybersecurity.

She also mentioned plans to use artificial intelligence to support the agriculture sector and increase exports to China.

Regarding the potential trade war, Commerce Minister Pichai Naripthaphan stated that Thailand stands to benefit from it, as investments shift from China and exports to the U.S. are expected to increase.

Furthermore, Thailand, along with other Southeast Asian nations like Malaysia, Vietnam, and Singapore, is now positioned to attract major tech companies targeting the region’s young and tech-savvy population.

Microsoft has already invested billions of dollars in a regional data center in Thailand. Google has invested $1 billion in a data center and cloud infrastructure, while Amazon plans to invest $5 billion in Thailand over the next 15 years for its cloud computing unit.