High percentage of Thais ICT savvy, survey shows
As many as 59 million Thais use the internet regularly while almost 63 million use mobile phones, according to a survey by the National Statistical Office.
The number of Thai internet users accounts for 89.5% of all Thais aged 6 and over while the number of mobile phone users represents 95.5% of this population, the agency’s deputy director-general Krisana Jirawatsathit said on Friday.
She said the survey, which focused on the use of information and communication technology (ICT) by Thais, was conducted in the fourth quarter of last year.
Of the 24 million households covered in the survey, as many as 22 million (91.6%) were connected to the internet. The northern region had the lowest percentage of households with internet connections, at 85.7%.
Thailand’s population is 71.8 million, according to an estimate by the Worldometer website based on the latest United Nations data.
The survey also found that as many as 23.3 million households in Thailand, or 97%, have mobile phones while only 5.4 million households, or 22.6%, have personal computers.
Krisana said that Thailand saw an increase in ICT use among its population in the fourth quarter of last year compared to the previous quarter. However, as many households are still not connected to the internet, she suggested that relevant agencies should encourage more ICT use among Thais to help boost the country’s competitiveness to meet the targets set by the 13th National Economic and Social Development Plan (2023-2027).
