AI era dawns: 40% of Thai SMEs embrace AI for competitiveness
Experts are warning that the AI-driven era has arrived, with 40% of Thai SMEs already integrating AI to enhance their competitiveness.
During the “Supply Chain Futurepreneur” seminar, held on Wednesday at the Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) head office in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district, both public and private sector representatives shared their perspectives on the evolving business landscape for SMEs—particularly the adoption of AI as a critical strategy for future survival.
AI and carbon credits: two global trends reshaping business
Kanokwan Jaisri, Executive Vice President of SCB, noted that AI and carbon credits are two global trends shaping the future. SCB is committed to supporting SME clients in adopting AI and reducing carbon emissions, she said.
She explained that large businesses have already begun using AI to improve operational efficiency and are transitioning towards clean energy sources to support sustainable business practices. SMEs, she emphasised, must catch up with these trends to ensure long-term stability and growth.
“Today, AI and carbon credits are embedded in nearly every aspect of life and business. SMEs must adapt. Our bank aims to support their journey toward sustainability through consultation, connecting them with knowledgeable partners, offering seminars, and providing business loans,” Kanokwan added.
SMEs acknowledge AI’s importance but lack skilled workforce
Poonyawat Sreesing, senior economist at SCB’s Economic Intelligence Centre (EIC), pointed out that while Thai SMEs increasingly recognise the importance of AI, many—especially smaller firms—are still struggling due to a lack of skilled labour.
Citing SCB EIC’s 2024 survey, he revealed that only 40.4% of Thai SMEs have implemented AI solutions so far. Nevertheless, the study shows that many SMEs are planning to invest in AI, prioritising employee upskilling and training, followed by acquiring generative AI tools for in-house use.
Poonyawat stressed that SMEs still need strong support from the government, especially in areas such as data security, legal frameworks, workforce development and digital infrastructure.
AI arrives at the right time to boost SME productivity
Chinawut Chinaprayoon, executive vice president of the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa), described AI as a timely opportunity for SMEs to leverage technology in boosting business performance.
He emphasised the urgent need to develop human resources capable of adapting to new technologies. Emerging AI trends include AI agents and generative AI, which can function like employees—writing code, developing software and analysing sales data from start to finish.
Chinawut advised that before implementing AI, entrepreneurs should identify which functions AI can effectively handle. He also urged firms to invest in digital data management and cybersecurity.
"AI consumes data, so its accuracy depends on the quality of that data," he explained.
Private sector: AI helps reduce business losses
Surapong Saretchapan, CEO of BPS Technology, highlighted how integrating AI into manufacturing operations or business systems can transform traditional companies into smart businesses. Centralised monitoring, reduced reliance on human labour and enhanced competitiveness are among the key benefits.
“AI can rapidly and accurately gather data—whether it’s water systems, temperature, air quality or dust levels. It analyses the data and issues immediate alerts if abnormalities are detected,” he explained.
“Moreover, AI can connect to government agencies, such as wastewater quality monitoring systems, significantly streamlining processes and improving efficiency.”
Pattara Joypradit, Head of AI at Solomon Technology Thailand, added that one major benefit of AI is its consistency and lack of emotional bias, reducing errors and enhancing standardisation. However, he likened AI to a child that must be taught and fed with quality data for accurate processing.
He outlined the diversity within AI, including deep learning, robotic AI, and vision AI. For instance, vision AI—a branch of AI that mimics human vision—is used in tools that detect abnormal cells, reducing the workload on medical professionals.
“These tools are now far more accessible and no longer require advanced engineering software to operate,” he confirmed.
