30-07-2025
B25 billion approved for AI development
The National Artificial Intelligence Committee has approved a budget framework calling for a government investment of at least 25 billion baht to drive AI development in Thailand over the 2026 and 2027 fiscal years.
The committee's meeting on Wednesday focused on driving forward the National AI Programme as a strategic mechanism to enhance competitiveness and improve economic and social conditions and quality of life, said Prasert Jantararuangtong, the Digital Economy and Society minister.
In addition to a budget framework, the committee approved plans to foster collaboration between government agencies and private enterprises in the form of AI consortiums.
To accelerate AI integration across sectors, nine AI Centres of Excellence (CoE) will be established to serve as hubs for expertise and innovation:
AI Innovation Centre for Education
Creative Industry Innovation Centre
AI Agricultural Innovation Centre
AI for Tourism Excellence Centre
AI Health and Wellness Centre
AI Manufacturing Excellence Centre
Thai Language Large Model Consortium
Government AI Processing Centre, and
AI Product Standards and Competency Testing Centre.
Additionally, members agreed in principle to establish a tenth centre to focus on Safety and Security.
Each centre will be tasked with preparing sub-sector action plans covering both readiness and implementation, to be completed by September 2025.
Chai Wutiwiwatchai, executive director of the National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre (Nectec), said the next meeting would assign specific agencies to lead designated areas and receive corresponding budgets.
Out of the total budget of 25 billion baht, 6 billion will be allocated for AI workforce development, 5 billion for establishing the centres of excellence, and another 2 billion baht for setting up the National Data Bank.
Nectec has capabilities across the CoEs, including those focused on medical applications, education, AI product standards and competency testing, and computing power infrastructure.
The medical CoE will support data-sharing initiatives and streamline the approval process with the Food and Drug Administration for the use of AI-powered medical devices.
In education, it is essential to introduce AI curricula across all levels — schools, universities and vocational institutions — to build foundational knowledge and skills, the committee said.
