Panel voices concerns on digital trade gap

A digital trade deficit occurs when a country sends more money or revenue abroad for digital services than it earns by selling its own digital services overseas. Thailand is concerned because foreign platforms dominate important parts of online commerce and digital life. This can reduce the share of digital-economy value captured by Thai businesses and workers.

The concern is illustrated by Thai consumers spending more than 138 billion baht on about 20 foreign platforms during the first half of 2026. The figure includes payments through cards, debit cards, mobile banking systems, and other channels. Some of that spending may reach Thai merchants, while other amounts become overseas platform revenue.

Pawoot Pongvitayapanu called for clearer monitoring of cross-border financial flows. He also proposed supporting Thai platforms, expanding digital-service exports, and accelerating digital workforce development. The goal is not to discourage useful foreign platforms, but to help Thailand capture more value from its growing digital economy.

Thai consumers spent more than 138 billion baht on around 20 foreign digital platforms during the first half of 2026. The period covered January through June. The figure came from data compiled by the Thai Bankers Association, the Bank of Thailand, and the Revenue Department.

The panel examined payments made by Thai consumers to foreign companies through credit cards, debit cards, and mobile banking systems. It also noted that the survey covered only six months and did not include every member bank. Therefore, Pawoot Pongvitayapanu said the annual payment value could be higher.

The amount has raised concern about Thailand’s digital trade deficit. However, total transaction value should not be treated as money flowing entirely out of Thailand. Some spending goes to Thai merchants using foreign platforms, while overseas transfers include commissions, advertising fees, subscriptions, and other service charges.

Shopee received the largest recorded payment value from Thai consumers. It accounted for 69.8 billion baht across 17.7 million transactions. Facebook followed with 15.2 billion baht from 10.4 million purchases. These figures show how strongly online shopping and social platforms featured in the spending data.

The other major platforms named were Grab, Traveloka, Booking.com, Apple, Google, LINE, and Netflix. Together, they represented several types of digital services. These included e-commerce, ride services, travel bookings, software and app services, communication, advertising, and streaming entertainment.

The data matters because each platform can capture value differently. An e-commerce platform may collect commissions or advertising fees, while a subscription service receives recurring payments. Some spending also goes to Thai merchants, so the transaction total does not equal overseas outflow. The panel therefore urged clearer reporting of domestic revenue and overseas transfers.

A large overseas share means payments connected to Thailand’s digital activity can generate revenue for companies outside the country. That leaves Thailand with less value captured by domestic platforms, entrepreneurs, and technology businesses. It also makes the country’s digital trade balance harder to improve.

The article gives a large example: Thai consumers spent over 138 billion baht on around 20 foreign platforms in six months. Overseas revenue transferred from this activity can include platform commissions, advertising fees, subscriptions, and other service charges. Yet the full transaction total is not necessarily an outflow, because some purchases pay Thai merchants.

Pawoot Pongvitayapanu proposed better payment reporting to separate domestic merchant revenue from overseas transfers. He also urged fair competition rules, appropriate taxation, support for Thai digital businesses, and stronger exports. These steps would help Thailand capture a greater share of value without discouraging useful foreign services.

Total consumer spending measures the value of transactions, not the final destination of every baht. A Thai customer may buy from a domestic merchant through a foreign platform. In that case, the platform may receive a fee, but the merchant also receives revenue in Thailand.

The article distinguishes consumer spending from actual cross-border financial outflows. Revenue transferred overseas includes platform commissions, advertising fees, subscriptions, and other service charges. The transaction total also includes payments made through credit cards, debit cards, and mobile banking systems, which describe the payment route rather than the final division of revenue.

This distinction is central to assessing Thailand’s digital trade deficit. Pawoot said the findings highlight the need to separate gross consumer spending from actual cross-border flows. He proposed quarterly bank reports showing domestic merchant revenue alongside payments transferred overseas. Such data would give policymakers a clearer picture of the balance.

Thailand has several options besides relying mainly on overseas platforms. Pawoot Pongvitayapanu proposed a coordinated strategy that strengthens local businesses while helping them reach international customers. The approach combines better measurement with investment in domestic capability.

His proposals include supporting Thai digital platforms and technology entrepreneurs through public procurement, financing, and market access. He also called for accelerating digital workforce development, so Thai workers and businesses can build their own technologies and use foreign digital tools to generate income. Foreign platforms should face appropriate taxation and fair competition rules, while smaller online merchants should be protected from excessive fees.

Thailand could also expand exports of digital services, including content, gaming, software, and artificial intelligence. These measures would create additional overseas revenue and improve domestic competitiveness. Pawoot stressed that the proposals were not intended to discourage foreign platforms, which provide convenience and economic opportunities.

Digital platforms create value by connecting consumers with merchants, services, information, and entertainment. They capture part of that value through commissions on transactions, advertising fees, subscriptions, and other service charges. Their scale lets one platform serve many users and businesses, making these revenue streams significant.

The article’s examples span e-commerce, travel, transport, communication, software, and streaming. A platform may take a commission when a customer buys from a merchant. It may sell advertising space to businesses, charge users for subscriptions, or earn from software and app services. These mechanisms explain why transaction value and overseas revenue are different measures.

The article also identifies software, content, gaming, and artificial intelligence as digital services Thailand could export. Developing these capabilities would let Thai workers and businesses create their own technologies and earn from foreign markets. The proposed strategy therefore combines domestic platform development with workforce training and export growth.