Thailand should look beyond tourism and make the transition to a digital economy to generate more revenue for the country, Jirayut Srupsrisopa, the founder and CEO of Bitkub Capital Group Holdings, said on Thursday.
Speaking at the Centara Grand at CentralWorld for the 2022 Tech Conference, which was held under the theme “Metaverse Gold Rush: An Opportunity to Reshape the World”, Mr Jirayut said the digital economy will drive growth in the years and decades to come.
“Thailand shouldn’t stick with the tourism industry for revenues ... it should make the shift and invest in the digital economy as many other countries in the world have,” he said, pointing out that some 40% of all income in China — and about one third in the Ukraine — come from the digital economy sector.
He said the time has come to turn Thailand into a digital economy hub for the Southeast Asian region.
He referred to a seminar on the digital economy and the metaverse that he attended in Switzerland recently, which also featured the participation of leading CEOs and business leaders, saying the experience taught him not to underestimate the digital economy.
“It is not just a hype or a trend — there is a huge growth potential,’’ Mr Jirayut said, adding that with at least one in four people globally now ranking as a digital consumer, Thailand should take advantage of all available technological changes for the benefit of consumers around the world.
In the future, he said, “we will no longer be looking on smartphone screens but 3D glasses which we can already purchase now ... Smart devices will no longer be restricted to being telecommunication tools, as they will be all around us”.
Besides, as the world enters the post-Covid-19 phase, people now understand that work can be more flexible in terms of time commitment and physical space, he said.
“A leader cannot lead with just his or her brain, but also with heart and sympathy.
“The leader cannot force employees to work in the office any more as they can work from anywhere with more flexible time. We will work with more invisible team members,” Mr Jirayut said.
Furthermore, he expressed hope that the public would learn more about the metaverse and its potential so they could make the most of this new technology.
“Every 10 years or so there will be a shift in technology, but with this comes new opportunities,” Mr Jirayut said.
