Thailand is positioning itself to become a regional hub for humanoid robotics by leveraging its established automotive and electronics infrastructure.

Addressing national security concerns is vital, as domestic control over artificial intelligence (AI) systems prevents reliance on foreign technology that could be remotely compromised.

"Rather than focusing solely on manufacturing complete humanoid robots, Thailand should develop a robot orchestration platform that enables multiple robots to work together," Djitt Laowattana, executive board member of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and board chairman of the Robotics and AI Committee, told the Bangkok Post.

A robot orchestration platform refers to a centralised software system that coordinates multiple robots and facilities to work seamlessly together.

He said coordinating fleets of humanoid robots to perform tasks collaboratively would create higher value-added services, position Thailand as a regional hub for humanoid deployment, and generate more sustainable profits.

"Thailand is at a turning point as it seeks to shift from a robotics importer to a regional manufacturing hub for humanoid robots," said Mr Djitt.

In February, the Board of Investment (BoI) approved more than 10 billion baht in investments from five Chinese companies to establish the country's first humanoid robot component production base in the Eastern Economic Corridor.

The BoI said it wants to position Thailand as a hub for the rapidly expanding global humanoid robot market.

The five Chinese firms are Hangzhou Seenpin Electromechanical Transmission, Beite Technology, Sanhua Intelligent Drives, Tuopu Technology and Xusheng Group.

The global humanoid market is moving from prototypes to commercial deployment and is projected to reach US$29.5 billion by 2036, Mr Djitt said.

Humanoid robot demand in Thailand will be driven partly by the auto industry's transition to highly automated electric vehicle (EV) production, which requires more advanced robotics and electronics than conventional vehicle manufacturing, he noted.

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

Thailand's strengths include a deep automotive and electronics supply chain, high localisation in vehicle production, strong Internet of Things adoption and BoI incentives, Mr Djitt said.

The country is well-positioned to produce mechanical structures, metal parts, robot housings and basic electronic assemblies.

However, Thailand still depends on imports for core technology, such as AI chips and high-performance motors.

Of more than 200 system integrators, only 30-40 meet international standards, while just 5% can develop their own robotics solutions.

He said the country also lacks specialists in embodied AI, actuator design and robot kinematics, as well as national testing facilities for durability and balance.

Thailand needs to move from component supplier to technology creator, said Mr Djitt.

Over the next two years, he said Thailand should prioritise humanoid curricula, national testing infrastructure, and technology transfer from foreign investors.

"Within 3-5 years, Thailand should develop an assembly cluster and upgrade local system integrators into AI-driven solution providers," said Mr Djitt.

The long-term goal is a Thai embodied-AI platform adapted to local language, culture and use cases in factories, warehouses and services, he noted.

The transition carries social risks, as rapid automation could displace workers in labour-intensive sectors.

Policies must pair robotics investment with reskilling and job transition support to prevent technological progress from deepening economic insecurity.

In 1993, an industrial robotic arm cost around 2.8-3 million baht. Today, prices for the same product have fallen to roughly 300,000 baht.

Humanoid robots have followed a much faster cost curve. They were priced at around 1.6 million baht in the middle of last year, falling to 900,000 baht at the beginning of this year, while entry-level models fell to 350,000 baht last month.

Mr Djitt said it took industrial robotic arms more than 30 years to become a commodity product. The rapid decline in cost for humanoid robots suggests a much faster commercialisation cycle, he said.

Profit margins on complete automobiles are typically only around 5%, while automotive components can generate margins of 20-30%.

National Security

Chanwit Boonchuay, president of the AI Entrepreneurs Association of Thailand, said in a seminar Thailand cannot rival the US or Europe in building massive large language models.

However, relying entirely on foreign AI systems creates serious security risks because models can be biased, manipulated or used to spread disinformation, he noted.

"The threat is greater when AI is embedded in robots operating inside homes and factories," Mr Chanwit said.

If foreign-controlled systems are hacked, restricted or remotely disabled, industrial operations could be disrupted immediately, he warned.

"Developing domestic control over robot intelligence is therefore a national security priority," said Mr Chanwit.

Thailand has strengths in hardware manufacturing and original equipment manufacturing production, but the critical frontier is software, particularly vision-language-action models that allow robots to understand their surroundings and perform tasks independently, he noted.

Thailand should begin developing specialised local models for eldercare, agriculture and massage services, said Mr Chanwit, urging the government to support domestic robot software development to protect both national security and future economic competitiveness.

NICHE MARKET

Sakda Sarapatwittaya, president of the Thai Intralogistics Association and lead for Humanoid Thailand, told the Bangkok Post Thailand should avoid competing with China on mass-produced humanoid robots, as the latter already dominates core technology, manufacturing scale and costs.

"Instead, Thailand should target domain-specific robots built around local expertise and specialised use cases," he said, allowing the country to secure a niche in the global supply chain rather than compete in generic component manufacturing.

Existing system integrators should be matched with local suppliers and be supported in shifting towards humanoid robotics, said Mr Sakda.

He advocated more attractive government measures, such as offering a 40% local content requirement for foreign robot makers investing in Thailand.

"This proposed rule would require companies to source local materials, labour or services, ensuring their investments generate wider benefits for the Thai economy," said Mr Sakda.

He rejected the notion that humanoid robots would eliminate jobs. While automation will reduce demand for repetitive factory labour, it addresses Thailand's ageing workforce and labour shortages.

The main shift needs to be the creation of new occupations, said Mr Sakda.

"Future workers will need to supervise, command and collaborate with robots rather than compete against them," he noted.

Emerging roles include robot operators, maintenance supervisors, AI data trainers and system specialists.

Factory workers can transition from manual tasks to monitoring robot operations, supplying materials, handling emergency stops and performing basic troubleshooting.

Non-technical workers can help train AI by labelling defective and non-defective products, using practical experience rather than programming skills.

Mr Sakda is developing the Humanoid Asian Plus Initiative and plans to establish Living Lab Humanoid Thailand to accelerate regional collaboration. He signed partnerships with robotics organisations in Cameroon and Nepal.

Mr Sakda said the country's strengths in plastics, steel, electronics and EV manufacturing can be adapted to produce humanoid components with relatively modest investment.

"Although today's humanoid robots remain in the pilot stage and operate more slowly than humans, Thai businesses should begin investing, testing and training now to build expertise before the technology reaches mass commercial deployment," he said.

ROBOT INTELLIGENCE

Metthier, a subsidiary of SET-listed SKY ICT, is set to launch three humanoid robots at Suvarnabhumi airport by year-end to assist passengers with pre-boarding.

The initiative is a joint venture between SKY Group, AgiBot, a robotics company specialising in embodied intelligence, and IT product retailer COM7.

Kayon Tantichatiwat, chief executive of Metthier, said the company distinguishes itself by focusing on the intelligence or brain of the robot, recognising that hardware without sophisticated, task-specific training offers little more than basic entertainment.

Metthier's strategic roadmap involves rigorous data training tailored for high-impact sectors such as airport operations, security and the industrial sector.

Mr Kayon said a robot's value is defined by its ability to solve industry-specific challenges.

In June, AgiBot said it is expanding into Thailand by establishing an Asia-Pacific sales office. The Chinese company partnered with leading IT distributor VST ECS (Thailand) to accelerate humanoid robotics adoption and develop new use cases for local markets.

Thailand functions as the company's Asia-Pacific headquarters, said Abel Deng, president for Middle East and Asia-Pacific at AgiBot Innovation (Shanghai) Technology Co.

AgiBot aims to make robots cost-effective, easy to purchase, open for local development, and scalable through strong partnerships, he said.

China offers supply chain and manufacturing strengths, while Thailand has digital infrastructure, supportive policies, and a strong industrial base, which create opportunities to build local R&D, supply chains, and advanced robotics manufacturing, said Mr Deng.

"Now is the time to begin the AI-driven transformation and position Thailand as an intelligence hub," he said.

Somsak Pejthaveeporndej, chief executive of VST ECS (Thailand), said businesses increasingly view humanoid robots as AI-powered platforms that can be integrated with enterprise software, data models and existing workflows.

Early use cases include retail and hospitality, such as customer greetings and promotional assistants. The robots are also being used at events as interactive brand ambassadors, exhibition hosts and in experiential marketing, he said.

Mr Djitt says humanoid demand in Thailand will be driven partly by the automotive industry.