Nation Thailand
IFC urges Thailand to turn data centre investment into jobs
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Thailand must use data-centre investment to create jobs and help local businesses raise productivity through wider adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), rather than treat capital inflows as an end in themselves, according to Arnaud Dupoizat, director for East Asia at the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
Key facts
- He cited World Bank Group forecasts for global growth of around 2.5% in 2026, with higher commodity prices and geopolitical tensions weighing on activity.
- He cited figures indicating that only around 12% of Thai companies use AI and estimated that the country lacks approximately 80,000 AI professionals
- In an exclusive interview with Krungthep Turakij, Dupoizat outlined how investment in new industries could help Thailand move towards a higher-value economy, provided the benefits extend to domestic businesses
- Thailand is already one of the largest vehicle producers in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with EVs accounting for around 10% of domestic vehicle production
- If growth is to be inclusive, the benefits cannot accrue only to the top 1–2% of companies.”
- Global inflation is projected to rise to 4%, reflecting energy-price pressures and the risk of higher food prices stemming from a fertiliser crisis and rising fertiliser costs.
Summary
In an exclusive interview with Krungthep Turakij, Dupoizat outlined how investment in new industries could help Thailand move towards a higher-value economy, provided the benefits extend to domestic businesses. IFC is the World Bank Group’s private-sector development arm.
He cited figures indicating that only around 12% of Thai companies use AI and estimated that the country lacks approximately 80,000 AI professionals. Thailand needs to develop or attract that talent to capture the opportunities offered by the technology, he said.