BANGKOK, Thailand — Rising cyber threats, the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence and growing pressure to protect critical digital infrastructure are pushing companies in Thailand to spend more on technology.
Thailand’s IT market is expected to approach 1.1 trillion baht in 2026, according to Gartner’s forecast, representing growth of 8.36% from the previous year. The biggest increases are expected in areas linked to AI infrastructure, cloud computing, servers and cybersecurity.
But businesses are no longer spending on technology simply to become more digital.
They are increasingly spending because the cost of falling behind — or being attacked — is becoming too high.
Cyber Threats Are Becoming a Bigger Business Risk
Cybersecurity has moved from the IT department to the boardroom.
Businesses are facing a growing range of threats, including ransomware, phishing, online fraud, data theft and increasingly sophisticated attacks involving artificial intelligence.
Thailand has also seen a sharp rise in mobile-related cyber threats. Data reported by Kaspersky and published by The Nation showed mobile-device attacks in Thailand surged 127% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026.
The increase highlights a growing challenge for companies and consumers as smartphones become central to banking, payments, shopping and workplace communications.
For businesses, the message is increasingly clear:
Cybersecurity is no longer optional infrastructure. It is a core business investment.
Thailand’s IT Spending Set to Near 1.1 Trillion Baht
Gartner previously forecast that total IT spending in Thailand would reach nearly 1.1 trillion baht in 2026.
The strongest growth is expected in data centre systems, where spending by enterprises and service providers was forecast to rise 27.9% to 70.6 billion baht.
Server spending alone was projected to increase by nearly 38% to 51.1 billion baht, driven largely by investment in AI-optimised computing infrastructure.
The figures show that Thailand’s technology spending is increasingly being shaped by two powerful forces:
- The race to adopt AI
- The need to defend increasingly complex digital systems
AI Is Creating New Opportunities — and New Security Risks
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming how businesses operate, but it is also creating new cybersecurity challenges.
Companies are adopting AI for automation, customer service, data analysis and software development. At the same time, cybercriminals can use AI to create more convincing scams, automate attacks and identify potential weaknesses.
Gartner expects worldwide AI spending to reach approximately US$2.59 trillion in 2026, a 47% increase from the previous year.
AI cybersecurity alone is projected to grow significantly as organisations look for new tools capable of protecting AI systems and responding to increasingly automated threats.
This means Thai companies are facing a double challenge:
Use AI to stay competitive — while making sure AI does not create a new security weakness.
Global IT Spending Is Also Surging
Thailand’s rising technology investment is part of a much larger global trend.
Gartner’s latest forecast projects worldwide IT spending will reach approximately US$6.37 trillion in 2026, up 14.2% from 2025.
The fastest-growing areas include:
- Data centre systems
- Cloud infrastructure
- AI platforms
- Software
- Infrastructure as a service
Data centre systems are projected to grow by 62.5% globally, reflecting the enormous infrastructure requirements created by AI and high-performance computing.
Companies Are Becoming More Selective About Where They Spend
Despite the overall growth in technology investment, companies are not necessarily approving every digital project.
IDC says businesses across Asia-Pacific are increasingly shifting budgets towards technology investments that can demonstrate measurable value.
Cybersecurity, resilience, cloud optimisation, automation and risk reduction are among the areas expected to remain priorities, while projects with unclear returns could face delays or tougher scrutiny.
That represents a major shift in the technology market.
The question is no longer simply:
“How much should we spend on IT?”
Instead, businesses are asking:
“Which technology investments protect us, save money or deliver results?”
Thailand’s Government Steps Up Cybercrime Response
The Thai government has also intensified its response to cybercrime and transnational digital threats.
In June, the government said agencies had been directed to strengthen efforts against cybercrime, scam syndicates, financial crime and related transnational networks.
Officials discussed the issue across several areas, including security, law enforcement, finance, money laundering and digital threats.
The government’s growing focus reflects the scale of the challenge.
Cybercrime is no longer limited to stolen passwords or hacked computers.
It can involve:
- Online scam networks
- Financial fraud
- Identity theft
- Data breaches
- Cross-border criminal organisations
- AI-assisted attacks
- Mobile malware
- Digital money laundering
The Data Centre and Cloud Race Is Accelerating
Thailand is also experiencing a rapid expansion of digital infrastructure.
Businesses and technology providers are investing heavily in data centres, cloud services and AI-ready computing systems.
Gartner forecasts that Thailand’s spending on AI-optimised infrastructure as a service could exceed 1.8 billion baht in 2026, representing growth of more than 200% from 2025, according to recent reporting based on Gartner forecasts.
The growth is being driven by companies moving AI from experimentation into real-world applications.
However, the expansion of cloud and AI infrastructure also creates new risks.
More connected systems mean more potential entry points for attackers.
More data means greater consequences when systems are compromised.
And more AI means companies must understand exactly where sensitive information is being processed and stored.
Why Cybersecurity Spending Is Rising
Gartner expects worldwide information security spending to reach approximately US$244 billion in 2026, with organisations increasing investment to address threats and improve digital resilience.
For Thai businesses, cybersecurity spending is increasingly focused on more than simply installing antivirus software.
Companies are investing in areas such as:
- Threat detection and response
- Cloud security
- Identity and access management
- Data protection
- Security monitoring
- AI-powered defence systems
- Employee awareness
- Incident response and recovery
The goal is changing from simply preventing attacks to ensuring companies can detect, contain and recover from them quickly.
The Bigger Challenge: Technology Budgets Are Under Pressure
The surge in technology investment does not mean businesses have unlimited budgets.
Companies are also dealing with rising costs, economic uncertainty, supply-chain pressures and the growing expense of AI infrastructure.
IDC says technology budgets across Asia-Pacific are increasingly being filtered toward projects that can demonstrate clear business value.
In other words:
The IT market is still growing — but companies are becoming far more selective.
Cybersecurity is one of the areas likely to benefit from this shift because protecting systems and reducing risk is becoming easier to justify as a direct business priority.
The Bottom Line
Thailand’s technology spending is being propelled by a combination of fear and opportunity.
Companies are spending to capture the benefits of AI.
They are spending to build cloud and data centre capacity.
And increasingly, they are spending because cyber threats are becoming more sophisticated, more frequent and potentially more expensive.
With Thailand’s IT spending expected to approach 1.1 trillion baht in 2026, the country’s technology industry is entering a new phase.
The winners may not necessarily be the companies that spend the most.
They could be the ones that spend smartest — investing in technology that delivers real value while protecting their systems from an increasingly dangerous digital world.
In Thailand’s new technology race, AI may be driving the opportunity — but cyber threats are making investment impossible to ignore.
WWC ONE MEDIA J.M.D
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