แจ็คกี้ หวาง
Country Director, Google ประเทศไทย
Unlocking the potential of Thailand’s digital economy
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, JCR Trading, an SME that sells crispy fish as souvenirs to foreign tourists visiting Chiang Mai, was badly affected and lost most of its customers as international travel came to a standstill. That’s when the owner, Julaprach Petchchang, started looking for ways to pivot his business, target locals and sell his products online. After attending a hands-on session during the “Saphan Digital”, Google’s digital skilling program, he successfully created a website for his business and developed new products tailored for the domestic market. Petchchang is also learning how to use Google Ads to engage with a wider audience through online advertising.
The recent eConomy SEA report by Google, Temasek and Bain found that more than 1 in 3 digital merchants in Thailand believe that they would not have survived the pandemic without going online. Propelled by the growth of e-commerce, Thailand’s digital economy is expected to reach THB1 trillion (USD30 billion) in 2021, growing at an impressive rate of 51% year-on-year.
And the digital economy’s long-term potential is even greater. Digital technologies can create up to THB2.5 trillion (USD79.5 billion) in annual economic value for Thailand by 2030, according to Alphabeta’s report, ‘Unlocking Thailand’s Digital Potential’.
Despite the significant growth opportunity for Thailand’s digital economy, the country faces several challenges on the way to realizing its full potential. These include closing the digital talent gap and speeding up the adoption of digital solutions by businesses — an area where Thai businesses lag the global average.
In line with the government’s “Thailand 4.0” strategy — which aims to transform the country into an innovation and knowledge-based digital hub for Southeast Asia — the AlphaBeta report outlines three pillars of action: lowering barriers to digital adoption by businesses, enhancing digital skills training and education, and developing a conducive environment for digital trade.
At Google Thailand, we are committed to providing Thais with helpful products and content to promote equal digital opportunities and help them participate in the long-term growth of the digital economy. We will continue to support the development of a digitally skilled workforce and promote digital adoption through our programs, initiatives and resources. Saphan Digital, a training program developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce and industry partners, is designed to equip Thai SMEs and individuals with digital skills through a series of free online training courses. Think with Google provides businesses access to data-driven insights and tools to improve their services, and our Google for Startups Accelerator: Southeast Asia enables startups in Thailand to access our global network of industry partners to expand internationally.
We know that there is still a lot of work to do to help Thailand realize the full potential of the digital economy. It will take sustained commitment and deep partnerships between governments, businesses and communities, and we’re ready to play our part.
Jackie Wang
Country Director, Google Thailand
