As the global economy accelerates toward full digital transformation, Thailand faces a critical imperative: bridging the widening gap between technological advancement and workforce readiness. In a major move to address this challenge, the Ministry of Labour and Microsoft Thailand have announced a strategic partnership under the banner “AI for Workforce”.
The initiative, which formally aligns with Thailand’s National Economic and Social Development Plan, sets an ambitious target to deliver AI skills and industry-recognized certifications to 150,000 workers nationwide. The overarching goal is to shift the paradigm of the Thai workforce from being mere users of technology to becoming “creators” in the digital economy.
The Talent Deficit
The collaboration comes at a pivotal moment for the Thai labor market. According to the “Survey of Personnel Demand by Job Positions and Required Skills for the 5-Year Period (2025-2029)” conducted by the NXPO, Thailand requires over 1,087,548 highly skilled personnel in key sectors, including Digital, Smart Electronics, and Logistics.
The skills gap is particularly acute in advanced technologies. The survey highlights that enterprises face significant challenges in recruiting personnel with Generative AI skills, where demand stands at a high 41%. Furthermore, proficiency in Data Analytics and Software Development Processes remains in critical demand within the digital sector.
Democratizing Access to AI Education
To mitigate these shortages, the “AI for Workforce” project, which commenced operations in July 2025, employs a multi-pronged approach to ensure inclusive access.
Central to the execution is the Department of Skill Development’s (DSD) online training platform, which now hosts over 280 AI courses in the Thai language. Upon completion, learners receive joint certification from both the Ministry and Microsoft.
Samart Pattamasukhon, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, emphasized that the project is designed to create a sustainable learning ecosystem. The curriculum covers a broad spectrum of needs:
- Basic AI Skills: Accessible training for general workers and the unemployed.
- Advanced Technical Skills: In-depth Data Analytics training for those aspiring to become developers.
- Institutional Transformation: Capacity building for policymakers and the Department’s own trainer network to ensure knowledge transfer reaches every province.
A Vision for Workforce 5.0
Treenuch Thienthong, Minister of Labour, described the collaboration as a concrete public-private effort to elevate the quality of life for Thai workers. “In an era where the global economy is advancing toward full digital transformation… Thailand must urgently develop our people to have skills ready for change,” she stated.
The Minister further encouraged enterprises to leverage the Skill Development Promotion Act B.E. 2545 for employee training expenses, framing the initiative as a crucial factor in the nation’s goal to develop AI skills for over 10 million Thais by 2027.
For Microsoft, this partnership reflects a commitment to empowering “Frontier Workers” and “Frontier Firms”. Dhanawat Suthumpun, Managing Director of Microsoft Thailand, noted that AI has become a powerful tool that must be accessible to everyone. “We recognize the urgent demand for workers with Generative AI skills… Microsoft aims to equip Thai workers to become ‘Creators’ in the new economy,” Dhanawat said.
Future Outlook
By integrating world-class curricula in Cloud, Data, and Cybersecurity into the national skill development system, Thailand is positioning itself as a regional leader in AI innovation. The Department of Skill Development is also accelerating the development of national standards for Generative AI skills, such as Copilot, to ensure the workforce remains aligned with market realities.
As the project expands to cover diverse groups—from those at risk of job displacement to executives—it represents a significant step toward securing Thailand’s competitiveness in the AI era.
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