Thailand invests 300 million baht in Thai AI language model
Multimodal foundation models drive next-gen AI like autonomous vehicles
The National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) has collaborated with Siam AI Corporation to launch a Thai large language model (LLM), aiming to enhance Thailand’s artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and sovereign AI strategy. Siam AI has committed an investment of 300 million baht to support this initiative.
During the memorandum of understanding signing with Siam AI Corporation last Friday, June 6, NSTDA President Sukit Limpijumnong emphasised that the collaboration will aid in developing a Thai LLM, which should comprehend Thai context and culture. A native Thai LLM is deemed essential for the country’s digital infrastructure, encouraging AI development in the Thai language.
Sukit stated that the project is critical in advancing AI development specific to Thailand’s needs, promoting innovation in digital services, and boosting national competitiveness.
NSTDA aims to support intensive research and development of a sandbox for proof of concept and work with Siam AI to cultivate a skilled workforce, thereby strengthening the research ecosystem in the long term.
Ratanaphon Wongnapachant, Siam AI CEO, described the collaboration as a pivotal move to develop a Thai LLM for commercial use in the public and private sectors.
He stressed the importance of creating Thai LLMs domestically, as relying on foreign-developed models risks losing valuable data crucial for cognitive development, a significant foundation for the nation.
Foundation models or LLMs with multimodal capabilities are vital for advancing next-generation AI applications, such as autonomous vehicles that require the integration of text, vision, audio, and sensor data for real-time decision-making.
Ratanaphon highlighted that Siam AI houses one of Asia’s most advanced high-performance computing infrastructures, featuring Nvidia Blackwell architecture and a liquid-cooled rack cluster designed to support LLMs.
Thailand is among four Asian countries, including China, Japan, and South Korea, that have developed their own LLMs.
The Thai LLM is projected to consist of 7 billion parameters and is anticipated to be completed within three months, supported by Siam AI’s total investment of 300 million baht, following an earlier development phase funded with 20-40 million baht.
Chai Wutiwiwatchai, Executive Director of the National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre (NECTEC), noted that the agency provides expertise in multimodal LLMs to support Siam AI, which has shown strong capabilities in text-based LLM development.
NECTEC developed Pathumma LLM, an AI model designed for multimodal data processing, including text, speech, and images. It is tailored to handle state and public sector documents, focusing on understanding official language, structure, and contextual nuances.
NECTEC will also deploy government AI projects on Siam AI’s infrastructure, which offers scalability and flexibility for pilot initiatives. Furthermore, it aims to develop a skilled workforce in high-performance computing to drive future advancements.
According to the Oxford Insights in Government AI Readiness Index 2024, Thailand ranks 35 out of 188 governments. Chai remarked that Thailand is showing strong momentum in AI development, notably in the medical sector, where it has deep expertise, presenting a promising opportunity for the country to export AI-driven services in the future, reported Bangkok Post.
In May, Siam AI signed an agreement with Naver Cloud, a South Korean cloud computing and AI solutions company, to develop a Thai LLM and AI agents for the tourism sector.
Naver Cloud stated that by leveraging their expertise in developing and operating LLMs and extensive Thai language datasets, the two companies aim to create a Thai-specific LLM by the end of the year.
This model will be designed for real-world applications, with plans to launch an AI agent tailored to Thailand’s high-demand tourism industry.
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