The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce’s (UTCC) Competitiveness Center is calling on Thai entrepreneurs to build core competencies to ensure sustainable growth and adapt to the rapidly evolving platform economy structure.
This is also required to overcome the challenges stemming from the increase in commission fees being charged by digital platforms.
The recommendation follows the centre’s in-depth analysis in a white paper titled “Thailand’s Platform Economy in the Age of Creative Destruction: Pathways toward Sustainable Entrepreneurship and a Resilient Digital Ecosystem”.
The report connects Thai digital dynamics with two theoretical frameworks that gained recognition by receiving the 2025 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, which identify factors for sustainable growth through technological advancement. One is the “creative destruction” theory of Philippe Aghion from Collège de France and Peter Howitt from Brown University, who developed mathematical models explaining the creative destruction process. The model notes when new technologies and business structures replace old models, companies clinging to outdated technologies and business models cannot compete. Innovation thus simultaneously creates new possibilities while destroying existing structures.
Theerakorn Udomratanamanee, vice-dean for administrative affairs at UTCC’s Creative Entrepreneurship School, said the trend of raising fees among the digital platforms reflects a natural transition known as creative destruction. Platforms are moving from the market creation phase focused on massive investment to attract users to value creation, focusing on revenue generation for business sustainability.
With the value of online transactions projected to exceed 1.2 trillion baht in 2024, accounting for 6.5% of GDP, digital platforms have become a core economic infrastructure that entrepreneurs must utilise to full efficiency.
Supasan Preedawiphat, dean of the UTCC’s Creative Entrepreneurship School, said the 2025 “E-Commerce at the Crossroads” report by Blackbox Research indicates that Southeast Asian countries are transitioning from quantitative to qualitative growth.
To thrive in this new environment, entrepreneurs must build four technical competencies described as the “PACE” acronym.
The first competency (P) refers to “platform literacy and digital operations”. This competence requires a deep understanding of platform systems, efficient use of digital tools, and the ability to make data-driven strategic decisions. For instance, a coffee shop might use customer analytics to adjust advertising according to peak ordering times, which increases sales while reducing costs.
The second competency (A) refers to “added-value innovation and service excellence”. Entrepreneurs must have the ability to create product differentiation through innovation that adds value to products and the customer experience.
The third competency (C) refers to “collaborative brand trust with smart data use”, while (E) refers to “expansion readiness and regional integration” or the ability to connect to regional and cross-border markets.
Mr Supasan also cited another theoretical framework honoured with the 2025 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, which is the work of Joel Mokyr from Northwestern University. His work demonstrates through historical evidence that technology creates truly sustainable growth only when society has three foundations: advanced knowledge and science; technical proficiency of labour and the business sector; and institutions and rules that facilitate innovation emergence and widespread dissemination.
Mr Supasan said the government therefore has a crucial role in creating a new economic infrastructure. The state must progress from “regulator” to “co-designer of ecosystems”.
For a sustainable positive impact on all stakeholders in the platform ecosystem, the government’s regulatory role should comprise four main dimensions that refer to the “LEAD” acronym, Mr Supasan noted.
L refers to Linkage Creation, an investment in infrastructure and the fostering of linkages between various sectors. Thailand has starting points such as the Personal Data Protection Act but can build further, such as requiring platforms to notify sellers in advance when changing policies affecting stores in order to create transparency and fairness in the platform ecosystem.
E refers to empowerment through competence or continuously developing entrepreneurial skills using integrated training, tools, and tax incentives, while A refers to adaptive governance, creating flexible rules that upgrade product standards, link trade agreements, and build the “Thailand Trusted Source” image.
D represents distributed trust by building confidence through transparent mechanisms. Kittipong Sakornsathien, the centre’s director, said successful implementation of these measures could reverse the declining trajectory of Thailand’s competitiveness ranking.