Thailand has developed ICT under the ICT Master plan. The plan is consistent with
the development objectives set forth in the National Economics and Social Development Plan,
which is the key national development framework. ICT Statistics which were surveyed by
the National Statistical Office since 2004 indicated that the readiness of the information and
communication infrastructure is still not widely available and accessible. This has constrained the
efficiency and effectiveness of developing and using ICT for building up knowledge, developing
enterprises, and serving the government.
In terms of ICT human resources, there has been a continuous expansion alongside
the expansion of ICT usage. Presently, Thailand has a growing skilled workforce both in the public
and private sectors. The number of graduates in related fields at the tertiary and vocational level is
also increasing. Nonetheless, there is still a major shortage of ICT human resources, both in term of
quantity as well as quality, particularly highly-skilled personnel and specialized personnel in various
sub-sectors. For the general public, the usage of ICT is still low and limited in coverage.
The majority of the Thai public access information through traditional media such as television and
radio , more so than through computer technology. The group of ICT user is smaller than other
groups, such as those in remote area, the disabled persons and the elderly.
In summary, Thailand’s ICT development and usage has continuously increased. The area
which requires further attention is the ICT personnel both in terms of quantity as well as quality,
along with the improvement of national ICT governance. Otherwise, these will become obstacle for
the development of other activities, since these two issues are fundamental factors for development.