Five Thai innovations launched to meet the needs of modern life

“Innovation” has become a key tool for improving the quality of life.

Most recently, the National Innovation Agency, or NIA, the lead body driving Thailand’s innovation system to sustainably elevate the economy and society, unveiled five Thai-developed innovations designed for modern living, spanning the environment, lifestyle, and physical and mental health.

Plant-based ice cream meets the needs of health-conscious consumers

The health and wellness trend, especially preventive health, has made people more aware in every respect, particularly when it comes to food.

“Alternative foods” have also grown in popularity.

Today, consumers want healthier options that still taste good.

Plant-based ice cream is, therefore, an answer for health-conscious consumers, people with lactose intolerance, and vegans.

“Molly Ally”, a plant-based ice cream innovation, uses an Emulsify Integrated System that combines pasteurisation and homogenisation to address the unstable texture of plant fats.

This results in smooth, creamy ice cream with no separation, reduced ice-crystal formation, and an extended shelf life of up to 12 months.

Plants are used as the main ingredients, such as almonds, coconut, soybeans, and oats, in place of cow’s milk.

This product not only delivers quality comparable to dairy ice cream, but also meets the needs of modern consumers who care about health and the environment, allowing them to enjoy desserts while looking after their wellbeing at the same time.

Mind Card… a true web companion for mental wellbeing

The mental health crisis is rising rapidly, especially among younger people.

Data from the Department of Mental Health shows that depression among those aged 20–24 is as high as 20.5%.

Meanwhile, a study among Thai university students found that 45% experience high levels of stress, and 28% have depression.

This is driven by academic pressure, family expectations, concerns about future employment, and the impact of economic conditions.

If these mental health issues are not properly addressed, they may affect quality of life in the long term.

One innovation supporting mental wellbeing among young people is “Mind Card… a true companion for mental wellbeing”, a web application that shifts mental healthcare from reactive to proactive.

It applies positive psychology to create a tool that helps users care for themselves before problems become more severe.

The platform is designed to capture attention through beliefs around fortune and destiny, helping users feel they are “shaping their own fate” by choosing cards that match what they are currently facing.

This opens up a thinking process, builds awareness, and leads to self-reflection.

The system then presents an overall mental health risk profile, and an AI system generates personalised recommendations.

Users learn how to manage emotions, understand their thoughts, and find ways to cope with challenges on their own.

The platform also tracks progress and adjusts the care plan to suit individual needs, building resilience against depression, anxiety, and stress, which are three key causes of mental health problems among students.

This innovation is therefore not only a mental well-being tool, but a preventive system that helps young people build stronger inner strength to get through difficult periods in life, supporting a society that genuinely values mental well-being.

Enjoyable travel with top community experiences

One innovation that is interestingly changing Thai lifestyles is the “Chiang Mai Jazz City” project.

Chiang Mai is a city with a strong start-up ecosystem and is also a hub for digital nomads, modern professionals who use technology and the internet to work remotely from around the world.

Supported by NIA, the project aims to become an international music city through three key strategies: developing lessons for Lanna instruments and shared rhythm-making between local instruments and international music, an innovation that has never been done before, requiring highly skilled experts to design the curriculum; creating a space for emerging musicians to build profiles and opportunities to showcase themselves; and building a distinctive brand identity through typography, mascots, and colours that reflect “Chiang Mai jazz”, creating recognition on the international stage.

The project not only preserves local music but also aims to build a sustainable creative economy for communities, generating income for local musicians and growing the music-festival business for people in the area.

While Chiang Mai is elevating music culture, Songkhla has created an innovation that transforms travel and health through the “WalkWing” platform, which turns everyone’s “steps” into value through Walkable City and Local Tourism activities.

The key feature of WalkWing is that users do not just count steps; they can also create missions and activities that encourage people to go out and walk to complete tasks.

For example, users can walk through new tourist spots and explore unseen routes created by local communities, targeting both Thai and international tourists, especially Malaysians.

The platform delivers positive impact in multiple dimensions: as more people travel on foot, it stimulates the economy through spending at shops and restaurants, builds relationships between tourists and communities, promotes health, and motivates more people to exercise.

These two innovations show how modern lifestyles can connect local culture, health, the community economy, and sustainable tourism, creating opportunities for young people to build careers from what they love and take pride in, while also strengthening local communities through income generation.

Innovation turns “food waste” into something useful

The “waste” problem is significant: Thais generate an average of 86 kilograms of food waste per person per year, compared with the global average of 79 kilograms per person per year.

This food waste produces greenhouse gases, worsening the intensifying global warming crisis each year.

The United Nations has set a target for all countries to cut food waste by 50% by 2030.

This means Thailand must reduce food waste by about three million tonnes per year, or an average of 43 kilograms per person.

To tackle this, an innovation called “INNOWASTE” was developed, a machine that converts food waste into high-quality soil and fertiliser, turning waste into a new resource.

It takes only 1–2 hours to break down food scraps, producing nutrient-rich soil packed with essential minerals.

It also helps reduce waste incineration and lowers carbon footprints.

“INNOWASTE” therefore not only addresses environmental and social challenges, but also creates added value by turning waste into resources, supporting a sustainable circular economy.