Thai workforce needs to learn digital skills, urges official

The Thai workforce needs to equip themselves with digital skills, as digital tech is likely to replace manual labour sooner due to the pandemic, says Danucha Pichayanan, secretary-general of the National Economic and Social Development Council.

“The internet plays a more significant role during the crisis. It changes not only the way Thais work, study and trade, but also daily life,” he said, according to Bangkok Post. 

Due to COVID-19, the speed of tech disruption has been accelerated, increasing internet usage among the public which is backed by changing consumer lifestyles, he noted. 

To prevent the risk of infection, companies have turned to automation and AI to replace workers, Pichayanan said, adding that businesses should speed up on training programmes for skills development for their workers. 

To work and remain relevant for the future, Thai workers will need to improve on their digital skills, Pichayanan said, citing World Economic Forum (WEF) data that showed that only 54.9% of workers in Thailand were equipped with digital skills. 

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He also cited WEF data highlighting that over the next five years, 43% of businesses plan to cut their workforce. Some 41% of these firms would hire specialists for specific jobs, while 34% of businesses would require more highly skilled workers.