Google Eyes Bigger Stake in Thai Digital Projects

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Google is looking to expand its involvement in Thai government projects, according to Commerce Minister Pichai Naripthaphan. During his recent visit to the United States, the minister met with Google executives to discuss collaborations in advancing Thailand’s digital economy, cybersecurity, and cutting-edge technology investments.

 

The discussions highlighted Google's interest in government projects, particularly focusing on cloud services and data centers. Besides Google, tech giants like Microsoft and Amazon have already made significant investments in Thailand.

 

Minister Pichai stated that Google recognized Thailand's leadership in the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) negotiations. Google is eager to contribute to DEFA, which aims to set a global standard for digital economy cooperation.

 

Key issues covered include adapting intellectual property laws for technologies like AI and enhancing cybersecurity to safeguard data and online transactions worldwide. The goal is to complete DEFA negotiations by this year, potentially creating the world's first regional digital economy agreement, boosting collaboration between ASEAN and regions like the United States.

 

 

Pichai also invited Google to help develop a super app for the Ministry of Commerce to improve public project efficiency, to which Google expressed enthusiasm.

 

The minister met with representatives from Nasdaq, FedEx, PepsiCo, IBM, Intel, Apple, and Boeing as part of his engagements with the US Chamber of Commerce and the US-ASEAN Business Council.

 

In 2024, the US was Thailand’s second-largest trading partner, with trade exceeding US$74.4 billion (about 2.7 trillion baht). The US is Thailand’s top export market, contributing US$54.9 billion (about 2 trillion baht) with imports from the US totaling US$19.5 billion (around 700 billion baht), reported The Thaiger.

 

-- 2025-02-11