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Microsoft Thailand is advancing its mission to empower the nation in the AI era, guiding Thai organizations toward becoming “Frontier Firms” through three core strategies: Elevate (skills development), Enable (empowerment), and Govern (ethical AI frameworks). This approach is built on the foundational principles of ethics and security, solidifying Microsoft’s role as a global platform that enables Thai organizations to innovate, contribute to the digital economy, and enhance Thailand’s global competitiveness.
Mr. Dhanawat Suthumpun, Managing Director of Microsoft (Thailand) Co., Ltd., remarked, “Microsoft has evolved beyond a software developer to become an ‘Intelligence Engine’ platform. This opens up immense opportunities for organizations of all sizes—from startups to large enterprises—to drive their own innovation and achieve success, both within their operations and for society at large. We believe that organizations transforming into Frontier Firms will possess the unique capability to continuously create differentiation and new value through bespoke innovations. Microsoft Thailand’s strategy isn’t just about promoting technology adoption; it’s about empowering Thai organizations to become ‘creators’ themselves, leveraging technology to develop novel products, services, and business models. Microsoft will act as a steadfast partner, collaborating with all sectors to ensure collective success. This is the essence of our new strategy: to build an open, supportive, and empowering platform that enables every organization to thrive sustainably in our rapidly evolving world.”
In the preceding fiscal year (FY2025), Microsoft successfully advanced its AI initiatives in Thailand. Notable achievements include the THAI Academy project, which upskilled an impressive 1.577 million Thais in AI, significantly surpassing its initial target. This also involved bolstering the capabilities of Thai organizations with cutting-edge AI potential, establishing them as Frontier Firm exemplars across various industries, and fostering boundless innovation through AI. Furthermore, Microsoft worked with the Office of the Council of State and laid crucial groundwork for Thailand’s OECD accession with an AI solution to align Thai laws with OECD standards.
For FY2026, Microsoft Thailand aims to further accelerating the nation’s digital transformation. The focus will be on elevating Thai organizations, across both public and private sectors, into “Frontier Firms” to bolster Thailand’s global competitive edge. This will be achieved through the three core strategies: Elevate, Enable, and Govern. These encompass continuous AI skills development with industry-recognized credentials in depth skills for education sector, civil society and workforce. aiming for a multiplicative positive impact. The initiative also involves broad collaboration to ensure Thailand fully harnesses the creative potential of AI, all while adhering to Microsoft’s unwavering commitment to ethical AI governance and robust cybersecurity.
Elevate – Skills Development
Microsoft will build upon the success of the THAI Academy project by intensifying AI skills development for key target groups poised to create significant impact and knowledge proliferation, through four distinct programs:
- AI for Teachers: This program aims to equip 250,000 primary, secondary, and vocational teachers with comprehensive AI knowledge, ethical guidelines, and effective AI utilization strategies. Teachers will learn to develop lesson plans, create engaging teaching materials, and design assessment tools using appropriate AI technologies to foster critical thinking and creativity. The program also supports teachers in leveraging AI for their professional development and performance agreements. This initiative is a collaborative effort with the Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology (IPST), the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA), the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC), and the Office of the Vocational Education Commission (OVEC).
- AI in Education: In partnership with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, this initiative will train 5,000 teachers to effectively use AI for creating educational content and fostering collaborative learning among students. It also aims to empower teachers to solve classroom challenges with AI and cultivate 50,000 high-quality Bangkok students ready for the 5.0 era.
- AI Skills for Social Impact: This program will provide AI skills training to 15,000 professionals in social sector across Thailand. The goal is to enhance their capabilities in grant proposal writing, annual report generation, project progress tracking, and more effective outreach to target beneficiaries. This will free up staff to dedicate more time to core social value-creating activities. This initiative is a collaboration with UNESCAP, Digital Economy Promotion Agency (Depa) and the Communication and Development Knowledge Management Research and Development Center at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University.
- AI Skills for Workforce: Building on its partnership with the Department of Skill Development, this program aims to train an additional 100,000 Thai workers with high-quality, in-demand AI skills, thereby boosting their global competitiveness. Training will be delivered through 77 nationwide training centers of the Department of Skill Development, self-paced learning via DSD Online Training, and specialized Thai-language courses for Department of Skill Development officials, taught by Microsoft experts.
Microsoft will collaborate closely with the government to ensure these programs align with Thailand’s AI aspirations and international frameworks for responsible AI. This effort also supports Thailand’s ambitious goal of upskilling over 10 million Thais in AI by 2027, thereby enhancing national competitiveness and preparing the workforce for the digital economy.
Enable – Empowerment
Microsoft is dedicated to fostering a vibrant digital creation ecosystem by providing world-class AI technologies and tools that are accessible to both developers and general users.
- Microsoft Azure and GitHub: These platforms serve global developers, with GitHub Copilot evolving into a sophisticated Coding Agent. It assists with coding tasks, suggests solutions, and clarifies processes, making human review and understanding more straightforward.
- Windows and Copilot+ PC: Windows stands as a premier AI platform, boasting over 1.4 billion users worldwide and enjoying the broadest developer support. Windows 11 delivers the familiar and trusted Windows experience, enhanced with modern and more secure functionalities, including:
- Faster performance and enhanced security
- Familiar Windows experience with modern features
- Comprehensive tools for hybrid work environments
- Diverse solutions for all users
- AI-powered productivity with Copilot+ PCs
This new standard is exemplified by theCopilot+ PC, which is the fastest and smartest Windows 11 PCs to date, features advanced AI capabilities. It seamlessly integrates Copilot into the Windows experience through cutting-edge CPUs equipped with dedicated AI processing units (NPUs). This unlocks exclusive Copilot+ PC features such as Recall, Click to Do, Improved Windows Search, Super Resolution, and Relight in Photos.
- Windows AI Foundry: This initiative grants developers full access to AI’s power at both software and hardware levels. It enables the offline execution of AI models on Windows devices and supports future integration with other AI agents.
Govern – Establishing Ethical AI Frameworks
As a global leader in AI, Microsoft has consistently championed responsible governance principles in the development and deployment of AI tools and technologies. The company has actively contributed to shaping conceptual frameworks and policy directions for Thailand. This includes close engagement with Thai government agencies such as the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, the National Cyber Security Agency, the Digital Government Development Agency (Public Organization), the Electronic Transactions Development Agency and the Bank of Thailand. This collaboration provides guidance on security, cloud services, and ethical, and socially responsible AI usage. Above all, security remains paramount in all Microsoft products and services, especially in the AI era where technology’s capabilities are expanding, alongside the potential for misuse. Microsoft employs fundamental principles and numerous initiatives in this domain, starting from the development phase with the Secure Future Initiative. This encompasses three core security principles: Secure by design, Secure by default, and Secure operations, ensuring AI solutions are developed responsibly and safeguarded against misuse. Microsoft is poised to collaborate with all stakeholders to establish a robust foundation and drive Thailand’s sustainable progress, elevating Thai organizations to Frontier Firms. This also involves cultivating a comprehensive AI ecosystem, supported by world-class, highly secure platforms and tools.