BANGKOK: Thailand has become the country with the world’s second-fastest growth in workplace adoption of artificial intelligence, or AI, behind only South Korea, Microsoft says.
Although the current level of AI adoption among Thai workers remains below the overall average, its year-on-year growth has surged by 36.4 per cent, reflecting rising awareness and readiness among Thais to use technology to transform the way they work.
Dhanawat Suthumpun, Managing Director of Microsoft Thailand and Emerging Markets, told Microsoft AI Tour Bangkok 2026 that Thailand’s overall AI adoption rate stood at 12.4 per cent, while year-on-year growth had reached 36.4 per cent.
This makes Thailand the country with the second-fastest growth in AI adoption globally, compared with the global average growth rate of only 17.8 per cent.
Among data workers in Thailand, AI usage has reached 32 per cent, twice the global average. Thai business leaders also show a strong AI vision, with 51 per cent of executives in Thailand demonstrating clear direction on AI adoption, compared with the global average of 26 per cent.
“What we are seeing today reinforces that AI is a powerful force in driving business outcomes, creating new opportunities for the country and society, and enabling us to address challenges that may previously have seemed beyond reach,” he said.
According to Microsoft’s latest Global AI Diffusion report, serious AI adoption among Thailand’s working-age population rose from 9.1 per cent in the first half of 2025 to 12.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2026.
This placed Thailand second globally for growth in the share of AI users, behind South Korea, which recorded growth of 43.2 per cent, and ahead of Japan at 34.1 per cent.
Microsoft’s Work Trend Index 2026 also highlighted another important trend among employees in Thai organisations. Around 32 per cent of Thai respondents were classified as “Frontier Professionals”, or advanced AI users, double the global average of 16 per cent.
On leadership and strategic direction, 51 per cent of Thai workers said their organisational leaders had a clear AI vision, also roughly twice the global average of 26 per cent.
Microsoft said the two reports reflected strong AI enthusiasm and rapid adoption in Thailand.
The company views Thailand’s AI market as moving beyond the experimentation phase towards real business success. It sees significant room for further growth, as 87.6 per cent of the population, including people in manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare and education, has yet to adopt AI to improve quality of life and work.
“There is still substantial room for growth because another 87.6 per cent of the population, such as people in manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare and education, have yet to start using AI in daily life,” Dhanawat said.
Microsoft AI Tour Bangkok 2026 was held after Microsoft announced an investment of more than US$1 billion, or around 35 billion baht, in Thailand’s cloud and AI infrastructure between 2026 and 2028.
The investment followed a meeting in March 2026 between Brad Smith, Microsoft Vice Chair and President, and Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.
The investment has previously been described as supporting the development of world-class data centres using clean energy technology and efficient water management.
Microsoft believes serious infrastructure investment will create major opportunities for Thai businesses, including SMEs and large enterprises, by enabling faster, cheaper and safer access to cloud and AI services.
The company said this would help accelerate the development of Thailand’s digital economy and strengthen the country’s competitiveness in the region.
Beyond infrastructure, Microsoft is also focusing on human capital development. It plans to train more than 150,000 Thai workers in digital and AI skills, in line with the Thai government’s policy of positioning Thailand as an AI hub in Asean. - The Nation/ANN
