DIGITAL DIVIDE IN THAILAND: ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Nowadays, developing countries are using Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to bridge the gap in knowledge access and social equality for their people. It is widely recognized that bridging the digital divide can promote literacy, democracy, social development, public services equality, and sustainable economic growth. Digital divide, therefore, is an obstacle to sustainable national development that could help countries advance to the age of digital economy. In Thailand, ICT development and mobile penetration are strongly correlated with economic growth and social benefits. 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. The objective of this paper is to analyze the digital devide in Thailand and gives recommendations to the government and regulators to provide supportive policies to reduce the digital divide.