Thailand's Rural Heartlands to Embrace Digital Transformation with New 'Smart Living' Initiative

Government agency Depa unveils project to elevate digital skills for 2,700 ndividuals, targeting a 170 million baht economic boost for communities and farmers

 

Thailand's Digital Economy Promotion Agency (Depa) has launched a significant initiative, the 'One Tambon One Digital Smart Living' (OTOD Smart Living) project, aimed at ushering in a new era of digital transformation for the nation's rural communities and agricultural sector.

 

The programme seeks to enhance digital literacy, improve living standards, and unlock substantial economic benefits across the country.

 

At a press conference on Tuesday, Dr Nuttapon Nimmanphatcharin, President/CEO of depa, announced the project as an evolution of the existing 'One Tambon One Digital' (OTOD) programme, which has been in operation since 2023.

 

The 2025 iteration focuses specifically on smart city development, leveraging technology to elevate the daily lives of villagers and foster more resilient communities.

 

The OTOD Smart Living project is structured into two main categories of support:

Smart Living: This one-year initiative will support 40 communities situated within provinces designated as smart city promotion zones. These communities will benefit from the integration of five core technologies: smart agricultural tractors, solar-powered CCTV cameras, smart solar lighting, agricultural drones, and smart agricultural Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

Smart Living Plus: A more advanced one-year programme targeting five communities already located within established smart cities. These select communities will receive support for six technologies, including all five from the Smart Living category, plus a dedicated agricultural carbon platform.
  



 

Dr Nuttapon emphasised that the OTOD Smart Living project marks a crucial step in extending smart city development into rural Thailand.

 


"It not only brings digital technology and innovation to enhance the quality of life, safety, and agricultural practices within communities but also generates new economic opportunities for citizens by helping them to effectively apply digital technology," he stated.


 

Depa projects that the OTOD Smart Living initiative will elevate the digital knowledge and skills of at least 2,700 individuals across 900 households nationwide.

 

This significant human capital development is anticipated to create an economic impact of no less than 170 million Baht.

 

Dr Nuttapon underscored the belief that community power combined with technological advancement will be key drivers towards achieving the vision of liveable smart cities and fostering a stable and sustainable digital economy.

 

The continuous 'One Tambon One Digital' (OTOD) project, which precedes this new initiative, has already encouraged communities and farmers to utilise digital technology to boost income, reduce expenses, and streamline production processes.

 

Early efforts included promoting agricultural drone technology, followed by the introduction of cultivation platforms specifically designed for high-value crops such as durian.
  



 

Dr Nuttapon highlighted depa's recognition of agriculture's vital role in the national economy, with over 50% of the Thai population, or more than 30 million people, involved in the sector.

 

However, he noted that this demographic often faces myriad challenges, including droughts, floods, high production costs, and volatile produce prices.

 

Crucially, many communities and farmers have historically lacked appropriate digital support, hindering their access to essential technological knowledge.

 

The 'One Tambon One Digital' project, in its expanded form, aims squarely at resolving these pressing issues for farmers and communities throughout Thailand.

(2025/05/21-00:00)