IT Manpower in Thailand

By Pituma Panthawi, IT Policy Researcher
National IT Committee Secretariat
National Electronics and Computer Technology Center

The National IT Committee Secretariat has recently released the results of the “IT Manpower in Thailand” study conducted during the year 2001. The study was aimed to provide answers to the following questions: (1) How many IT professionals are there in Thailand categorized by skill type?; (2) How many IT professionals will Thailand need in the near future?; and (3) Will there be a discrepancy between IT professional demand and supply? The answers originated from this study led to a set of policy recommendations for the government to consider.

The survey conducted as part of this study revealed that, as of 2001, there were approximately 78,000 IT professionals (computer and telecom included) in Thailand. Among these, approximately 22,000 were in the software developer (programmer/analyst) category. Detailed results are shown below.

IT Professionals in Thailand (2001)

Computer Professional

70,495 
    - Managerial IT (e.g., strategist, project manager)

6,280 
    - Software Developer (e.g., programmer, analyst)

21,994 
    - System Administrator

6,002 
    - Specialist (e.g., database, security, QA, distributed system specialist, etc.)

13,718 
    - Webmaster/Graphic Designer

2,951 
    - Help Desk/Hotline/Customer Service

12,410 
    - Repairer

4,640 
    - Trainer

1,713 
    - R&D

787 
    - Telecom Professional

7,321 
Total

77,816 

With regards to the future supply versus demand analysis, the study found that, in terms of head count, the supply is seemingly adequate. Nevertheless, information gathered from various key players in the software industry indicated some incongruity between type of skill a new IT graduate generally possesses and type of skill the industry looks for. As a result, software companies normally have to provide a short-term additional training for their newly recruited IT graduates. These young developers will then become the most valuable asset to their companies. The incongruity between curricula and market needs is rather typical for IT industries in many countries. Apparently, Thailand is no exception. Without a doubt, the rapid development of IT requires rather responsive changes in IT curricula. That requirement consequently puts a challenge on all high-education institutions.

The Thai government has long recognized the importance of IT human capital, not only because IT has been and will continue to be one key enabler of economic and social development, but also because IT, particularly software, is a domain in which Thailand has a high potential. First, Thai software developers are known for their skills in graphic and creative works. Second, Thailand has a good physical infrastructure. Third, Thailand is an open and politically stable society, and it is therefore a genuinely attractive place for foreign IT investors and knowledge workers.

All relevant players are determined to help further enhance our IT workforce, that is to equip them with knowledge and skills necessary to excel in the global market. The Ministry of University Affairs, for example, proposed to set up an academic-industry IT curriculum formation committee to encourage active inputs from the industry in order to ensure that the curricula will responsively reflect industry needs. At the same time, the Office of the Board of Investment is now in the process of expanding their fast-track visa and work permit services to accommodate high-level IT professionals from overseas as well.

Welcome to Thailand.