How Huawei is supporting Thailand in becoming ASEAN’s digital hub

The tech corporation is working closely with Thailand in the country’s journey to digitalisation, providing technological support and training for its people.

The Land of Smiles is well-known for its food, shopping, and warm hospitality; but did you know that the nation is also the first to offer 5G commercially in Southeast Asia? Having set a goal to become the region’s digital playground, Thailand is taking their commitment seriously indeed.

The nation has made great strides in digital growth in recent years. In the 2020 UN E-Government Development Index, the nation ranked 57th, up 20 places from 2018. Digital transformation in the Land of Smiles can be seen through their extensive 5G coverage, investments in tech education, and the digitalisation of key industries like healthcare.

To help Thailand along in their digital transformation, Huawei is working closely with the nation to bolster their technology and upskill its workforce.

Accelerating Thailand’s digital transformation

Huawei has helped Thailand with the adoption of 5G, cloud services, and AI in key sectors such as healthcare, education, transportation, and government.

For instance, Huawei Thailand and the Department of Medical Services agreed earlier this year to integrate 5G connectivity into the Thai health system. This two-year partnership will see Huawei providing 5G technologies and training the staff at two public hospitals, the National Cancer Institute and Rajavithi Hospital.

The 5G technologies will help doctors remotely monitor and diagnose patients through telemedicine, which minimises the risk of Covid-19 infections in hospitals.

Another application is in emergency care services, such as ambulance transportation. 5G can transmit real-time information of the ambulance location, patient’s vital signs, and video images to the hospital. This will help doctors provide suitable care and prepare the hospital staff for treatment or surgery.

Another potential area of cooperation between Huawei and Thailand is that of smart ports and airports.

Huawei’s smart port tools aim to ensure trade safety and security while improving efficiency. The tech giant has already helped to reduce vehicle clearance time to mere seconds in China.

Meanwhile, Huawei’s smart airports integrate multiple cutting-edge technologies including AI, IoT, and a communication platform. With these technologies, they hope to improve airport security and operational efficiency, while enhancing passenger travel experience.

Cultivating digital talent

Besides technology, the Thai public and private sector are also working together to nurture digital talents. Huawei plays an important role in this by providing training programmes for professionals and students.

In 2019, Huawei set up the Huawei ASEAN Academy (Thailand), which aims to train over 100,000 Thais in digital and technological skills over five years. To date, the academy has trained over 41,000 ICT professionals and provided training to 1300 small and medium-sized enterprises.

Huawei is also working with government authorities to help SMEs and start-ups digitise their businesses.

In schools, Huawei continues to invest in the next generation of digital talents. To date, it has forged partnerships with more than 20 Thai universities.

For example, Huawei has a five-year collaboration with Chiang Mai University to develop a 5G system to improve learning in classrooms and expand research capacity. This is done through a cloud service that offers 5G-enabled rapid transfers, allowing those on campus to work more smoothly and efficiently. on campus.

Huawei is also developing students through its ICT Academy Programme. Students will undergo on-the-job training and attend practical courses to prepare for careers in the digital space.

Working hand-in-hand to establish Thailand as ASEAN’s digital tech hub

Huawei’s close cooperation with Thailand in its journey to becoming a digital tech hub has gained the recognition of the Thai government.

In March 2021, Huawei Thailand was awarded the Special Prime Minister Award of “Digital International Corporation of the Year”. The award was given in recognition of its support of Thailand’s digital transformation.
 

Recently, Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei and Thailand’s Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha met in a virtual meeting. “In the future, Thailand is eager to cooperate with Huawei in various areas, including digital economy, 5G smart hospital, cloud and computing, digital power, smart logistics and data center,” the Prime Minister said.

Likewise, Ren expressed optimism for Thailand’s digital growth in the future.

“We have strong belief in Thailand's successful digital transformation and talent development. Our local team will work closely with Thai customers and partners to serve the country’s social and economic development with technology solutions,” he said.

With Thailand continuing to invest in its digital transformation supported by corporations like Huawei, its growth is looking promising. Soon, the Land of Smiles may be known equally for its warmth and advanced technology.