DEPA revealed that the digital industry in 2025 expanded by 22.66%, with a total value reaching 3.87 trillion baht, and warned of a critical shortage of IT labor.
On 8 Sep 2026 GMT+7, the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA) announced the results of its survey and assessment of Thailand's digital industry status for 2025. The survey covered five main industry groups: Software and Software Services; Hardware and Smart Devices; Digital Services; Digital Content; and Telecommunications. The telecommunications industry survey was conducted by the Office of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC).
Dr. Supakorn Sittichai, acting DEPA CEO, stated that the overall digital industry in 2025 grew 22.66% from the previous year, reaching a total value of 3,873,338 million baht. The fastest-growing sector was Digital Services, with an average growth rate of 28.04% and a value of 470,851 million baht. Next was Hardware and Smart Devices, growing 24.04% to 2,288,581 million baht. Software and Software Services recorded its highest growth in years at 16.08%, valued at 270,921 million baht. Telecommunications grew 19.46%, totaling 789,568 million baht, while Digital Content grew 6.00% to 53,417 million baht.
Regarding digital personnel, overall numbers continued to grow. The survey found Software and Software Services employed 189,718 people, a 14.82% increase. Hardware and Smart Devices employed 419,022 people, rising 36.99%, reversing previous year's decline—partly due to expanded survey coverage including computer sales and repair businesses. Digital Services had 92,342 employees, up 7.15%. The survey also noted that artificial intelligence (AI) technology is influencing employment structures more than reducing headcount. High-skill roles like system design and consulting continue to expand, while routine and basic processing tasks are slowing down.
Another key finding of the 2025 survey was the digital workforce gap. The Software and Software Services sector demands an average of 21,450 additional personnel annually, but only 7,247 graduates enter related fields, representing just one-third of demand. Similarly, Hardware and Smart Devices require about 72,700 new personnel yearly but have only 7,335 related graduates. The Digital Services sector has more graduates than demand quantitatively; therefore, the critical issue is alignment between graduates' skills and employers' needs, especially in AI and data analytics skills. This is an urgent problem requiring collaboration across all sectors.
For the three-year forecast (2026–2028), the Hardware and Smart Devices industry is expected to grow the fastest at approximately 18–23% annually, averaging 20.0% compound annual growth rate. Digital Services will continue growing steadily at 12–19% per year, averaging 15.6%. Software and Software Services are forecasted to grow 9–12% annually, averaging 10.8%. Telecommunications is expected to expand significantly in 2027 before slowing slightly in 2028, with an average growth rate of 3.5%. The Digital Content industry is projected to grow steadily between 4.7–7.7% annually, averaging 5.8% compound growth.
