Bangkok: Ekniti highlights collaboration with Canva to propel Thailand towards becoming a global hub for designers, leveraging the Creative Economy and AI to generate income for Thais and strengthen the Thai economy. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Ekniti Nitithanpraphas, revealed the results of the Prime Minister's visit to Australia, stating that one of the highly potential collaborations is the extension of cooperation with Canva, an Australian digital design technology company. This will be a significant opportunity to elevate Thailand's creative economy, connecting Thai designers, SMEs, and the education sector to the digital economy and global markets.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Ekniti stated that Canva currently has more than 265 million monthly users in over 190 countries and serves 475 Fortune 500 companies. In Thailand, Canva has more than 7 million monthly users and over 30 million cumulative user accounts, making it the 6th largest market globally in terms of users. This reflects the high level of readiness and potential of Thai people in the design industry and the creative economy. Therefore, the government has invited Canva to consider establishing a regional office and AI-Design research center in Thailand, so that Thailand can not only be a user of the technology but also become a base for developing technology and design personnel in the region.
Mr. Ekniti emphasized that this collaboration will directly benefit Thai entrepreneurs. Working with the Department of Business Development (DBD) and the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA), the goal is to assist 40,000 Thai SMEs in developing their product image, packaging, campaigns, and marketing materials to enhance their competitiveness and reach consumers both domestically and internationally. Simultaneously, the initiative aims to increase the number of Thai designers, or Canva Creators, from the current 190 to 1,000 by 2028, while also providing them with AI skills training. This will enable Thai designers to bring their work to the global market and generate direct income. The education sector will also benefit through collaboration with the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC) and the Office of the Private Education Commission (OPEC), providing teachers and students with free access to Canva Education. The target is to expand the number of users from 3.3 million to 6.6 million by 2028 .
Mr. Ekniti stated that the collaboration with Canva exemplifies the government's desired economic strategy: leveraging technology from international partners to enhance the capabilities of Thai people, thereby creating new jobs, skills, and income within the country.
'Today, the global economy is facing both supply chain restructuring and geopolitical uncertainty. Therefore, Thailand needs to expand its economic partnerships, especially with countries that have technological strengths, such as Australia, in order to increase options and build resilience for the Thai economy,' Mr. Ekanit said.
Prime Minister Ekanit also stated that Thailand and Australia have strengths that can complement each other. Thailand has capabilities in food production and processing, while Australia excels in AgriTech, renewable energy, digital technology, and advanced manufacturing. Therefore, cooperation in the Creative Economy and AI is another area that can create added value for the economic relationship between the two countries.
'The goal is not just to attract world-class technology companies, but to enable Thai people and Thai businesses to grow alongside global technology, from students and designers to SMEs, and to make Thailand play a greater role in the global creative and digital economy,' said Mr. Ekniti.