Thaicom harnesses Thai-made AI to boost agriculture and curb pollution

At the Sustainability Expo 2025: A Call for Adaptation – The Sustainability in Trade & Industry hosted by Krungthep Turakij, Patompob Suwansiri, CEO of Thaicom, said that although Thaicom has long been recognised as Thailand’s leading satellite communications provider for over 30 years, it has now expanded its vision towards sustainable space technology for national and regional benefit—rather than pursuing interplanetary ambitions like some global firms.

Thaicom has developed a system that integrates satellite imaging with artificial intelligence (AI), entirely created by Thai experts. The data and knowledge generated remain within Thailand, aiming to bring the benefits of outer-space technology down to earth—enhancing local livelihoods, particularly in agriculture.

“We’ve found that semi-forest farmland, such as oil-palm plantations, has great potential for carbon storage,” Patompob said. “By combining satellite imagery with AI, we can assess this potential more precisely than manual field surveys, achieving nationwide coverage.”

The technology is being applied across multiple areas:

• Pollution and wildfire monitoring: satellites detect hotspots prone to forest fires that often trigger severe air pollution.
   
• Sugarcane management: Thaicom collaborates with the Office of The Cane and Sugar Board, using satellite data to oversee and curb crop-burning. The pilot already covers one million rai (out of Thailand’s 10 million rai of cane fields), and further expansion with the Industry Ministry is under way.
   
• Oil-palm and carbon credits: the system is now extended to other crops, enabling plantations to qualify for carbon-credit certification.
   

The technology can also evaluate forest areas and has already been verified by the Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organisation (TGO).

Patompob emphasised that Thaicom’s space-AI solutions are highly scalable—whether covering one million or ten million rai—with minimal cost.

• Low investment: the system relies on AI intelligence rather than expensive hardware or servers, making it cost-effective even for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
   
• Transparency and credibility: unlike human surveys, which cannot measure every tree, satellite-AI data provides verifiable scientific evidence. The platform is fully auditable—even by international bodies such as the European Union.
   
• Continuous AI learning: through collaboration with major partners like Global Green Chemicals (GGC), Thaicom’s AI improves as more data is processed, ultimately benefiting smaller farmers who gain access to richer datasets.

Despite successful pilot outcomes, nationwide implementation still faces hurdles—particularly policy recognition and budget allocation. Many ministries lack established budget categories for such new technologies, and bureaucratic inertia may slow adoption.

Patompob urged government agencies to adapt regulations and shift from labour-based processes to data-driven technology.

He added that innovation is not limited to big corporations:

“Any business with determination can adopt this technology at an affordable cost and on a practical scale,” he said, adding that Thailand must compete through technology if it is to take the next leap forward.