Thailand’s digital economy forecast to grow 4.2% in 2026, twice the pace of national GDP
Thailand’s digital economy is projected to grow 4.2% in 2026 — double national GDP growth — driven by tech investment, AI adoption, and data centre expansion.
The National Board of Digital Economy and Society (BDE) forecasts that Thailand’s digital economy (Digital GDP) will expand by 4.2% in 2026, slowing slightly from the 5.0% growth expected in 2025 but still growing twice as fast as the overall economy, which the Ministry of Finance projects to expand by only 2.0%. The digital economy is expected to reach a value of 5.6 trillion baht next year.
Wetang Phuangsup, Secretary-General of the BDE, said the digital sector remains a key growth driver for Thailand in 2026, despite global headwinds. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects the global economy to grow by 3.1%, down from 3.2% in 2025, while the World Trade Organization (WTO) projects global trade to rise by only 0.5%, down from 2.4%, due to the ongoing US-China trade war and the full impact of new tariff measures.
Despite these challenges, the BDE expects Thailand’s digital economy to benefit from the upturn in the global electronics cycle, increased investment in advanced technologies, and strong growth in data centre businesses and AI adoption across industries — all key pillars of Thailand’s new digital infrastructure.
Wetang added that the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES) will continue to promote investment, human resource development, and digital trust, focusing on its “Cloud First” policy and accelerating the transition to digital government to eliminate investment barriers and build a sustainable digital ecosystem.
According to BDE, Thailand’s broad digital GDP is projected to reach 5.6 trillion baht in 2026, up 4.2% year-on-year, confirming the sector’s resilience and continued growth momentum. The expansion will be fuelled by the recovery in the electronics upcycle and rising demand for smart devices such as AI-enabled PCs and smart technologies.
Investment and consumption outlook
Digital investment is expected to grow by 3.0% in 2026, with private-sector investment rising 6.2%, supported by foreign direct investment in cloud services and data centres. In contrast, public-sector investment is forecast to contract by 1.6% due to delays in the approval of the new fiscal budget.
Private consumption in the digital sector is expected to increase by 1.1%, down from 3.1% in 2025, while government consumption will shrink by 2.2%, an improvement from the 3.9% contraction last year, reflecting cautious but steady digital spending.
Exports of digital goods and services are projected to grow by 4.5%, down from 24.9% in 2025, in line with weaker global trade, while imports are set to rebound by 1.6% after a 3.2% decline in 2025 — indicating renewed demand for imported digital products.
Industry performance
All digital industries are expected to continue expanding in 2026. The fastest-growing sectors will be software (7.8%), smart devices (5.5%), and digital content (6.9%).
The software industry will remain the main growth engine, driven by increased use of automation and new digital platform development. The telecommunications sector will continue expanding through 5G network expansion and diversified digital services, while digital content will sustain growth through the rising popularity of video streaming, gaming, and AR/VR media.
