Digital divide in Thailand

The digital divide in Thailand refers to the economic, educational, and social inequalities between the Thai people who have access to information and communications technology (ICT) and those who do not.

There are a number of factors that determine the digital divide within a country, including income, choice of technologies (e.g., owned mobile phone, owned laptop and/or personal computer) and socioeconomic factors (e.g., gender, level of education, age).

[2] ICT development and mobile penetration are strongly correlated with economic growth and social benefits.

[2] The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society National Statistical Office Before Internet was launched commercially in 1995, there was a very low rate of users in Thailand.

[3] Survey respondents were selected across each region of Thailand: Bangkok, Central, North, Northeast and South.

The survey drew data from 9 provinces, and the typical respondent was 30 years old with a bachelor's degree and a monthly income of 12,384.90 THB.

On the other hand, the mobile penetration rate is higher than fixed in terms of network coverage and subscription.

This contributes to the digital divide in Thailand from the perspective that the lower class can not afford education and therefore does not have access to the internet.

To help resolve the digital divide in Thailand, the current companies need to expand and create more affordable options.

In 2010, Chalita Srinuan, Ph.D Student, and Erik Bohlin, Professor, from the Department of Technology Management and Economics at the Chalmers University of Technology in Göteborg, Sweden conducted a study investigating the determinant factors that could explain the digital divide phenomena in Thailand.

The results suggest that policies related to infrastructure and education are important to bridge the digital divide.

[2] The Thai government, regulators, and other stakeholders are encouraging the ICT industry to provide communications and services for all by fostering investment and removing regulatory bottlenecks.

[3] The benefits of mobile Internet can be seen as offering an alternative for bridging the digital divide, in particular, for a developing country such as Thailand where fixed telephony is not available.

In terms of accessibility and availability, the wireless infrastructure, in particular Wi-Fi hotspots, only provides full coverage in populated areas.