Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA)
Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA) is the structural Thai government agency under the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES) responsible for digital economy promotion, AI adoption, smart-city initiatives, and digital transformation of SMEs. Administers the depa Digital Fund for co-investment with private digital ventures and the Smart City programme covering 30+ cities. Coordinates the Thailand AI Strategy implementation and BOI-DEPA joint incentive programmes for digital-industry investment. Works with MDES on cloud-first policy for government agencies and digital-literacy skills development.
Snapshot
Headline numbers a buyer checks first.
Parent ministry
Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES)
Current
Smart City coverage
30+ cities enrolled in DEPA Smart City programme
2024
Digital Fund
Co-investment with private digital ventures
Ongoing
AI Strategy role
Lead implementation agency for Thailand National AI Strategy
2022-2027
Profile overview
Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA) is the structural Thai government agency under the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES) responsible for digital economy promotion, AI adoption, smart-city initiatives, and digital transformation of SMEs. Administers the depa Digital Fund for co-investment with private digital ventures and the Smart City programme covering 30+ cities. Coordinates the Thailand AI Strategy implementation and BOI-DEPA joint incentive programmes for digital-industry investment. Works with MDES on cloud-first policy for government agencies and digital-literacy skills development.
What DEPA does for the private sector
Smart Visa startup endorsement
DEPA-endorsed accelerator programmes are qualifying vehicles for the Smart Visa startup category — giving founders a BOI-linked long-stay visa without requiring a Thai co-founder or company.
Digital Fund co-investment
The DEPA Digital Fund co-invests (typically $0.029-10M tickets) with private digital startups, cloud operators, and SME digitisation projects under specific programme criteria.
BOI-DEPA joint incentives
Joint BOI-DEPA programmes offer additional tax privileges and promotion incentives for companies investing in AI, cloud data centres, and digital infrastructure in Thailand.
AI, smart-city programme access
Cities and government agencies working on smart-traffic, e-health, or digital-ID pilots coordinate with DEPA — making it an entry point for foreign tech vendors targeting government contracts.
DEPA key programmes at a glance
DEPA Digital Fund
Scope
Co-investment with digital startups, SME digitisation
Relevance to investors
Non-dilutive co-funding for qualifying projects
Thailand Smart City
Scope
30+ city deployments; IoT, traffic, health, energy
Relevance to investors
Gov-tech contract pipeline; partner ecosystem
AI Strategy 2022-2027
Scope
National AI R&D, talent, adoption roadmap
Relevance to investors
Priority sector for BOI-linked AI investment privileges
Smart Visa startup endorsement
Scope
Endorsing startup accelerator programmes
Relevance to investors
Founder visa pathway; talent retention signal
Cloud-first for government
Scope
Cloud migration for 200+ Thai government agencies
Relevance to investors
Cloud provider onboarding opportunity
| Programme | Scope | Relevance to investors |
|---|---|---|
| DEPA Digital Fund | Co-investment with digital startups, SME digitisation | Non-dilutive co-funding for qualifying projects |
| Thailand Smart City | 30+ city deployments; IoT, traffic, health, energy | Gov-tech contract pipeline; partner ecosystem |
| AI Strategy 2022-2027 | National AI R&D, talent, adoption roadmap | Priority sector for BOI-linked AI investment privileges |
| Smart Visa startup endorsement | Endorsing startup accelerator programmes | Founder visa pathway; talent retention signal |
| Cloud-first for government | Cloud migration for 200+ Thai government agencies | Cloud provider onboarding opportunity |
Where this profile is featured
Reports that reference this entity in their operator concentration or analysis.
Featured in
Thai Software and the Bangkok Startup Ecosystem: Sertis, Bitkub, Wo...
RTG digital-economy promotion agency.
Featured in
Smart Visa: Tech-Talent and Startup-Founder Pathway
Endorses startup-category Smart Visa applicants via accelerator-affiliated programmes.
Featured in
Thai Gaming and Esports: Studio Economics and Mobile-First Market
Endorses startup-category Smart Visa applicants via accelerator-affiliated programmes.
Featured in
Thai Startup Funding: YC Thailand Pipeline and the Seed-to-Series-A...
Endorses startup-category Smart Visa applicants via accelerator-affiliated programmes.
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Sits alongside 6 other Atlas profilesThai Software and the Bangkok Startup Ecosystem: Sertis, Bitkub, Wongnai, and the Series-B Reality
RTG digital-economy promotion agency.
Open report →
Sits alongside 5 other Atlas profilesSmart Visa: Tech-Talent and Startup-Founder Pathway
Endorses startup-category Smart Visa applicants via accelerator-affiliated programmes.
Open report →
Sits alongside 5 other Atlas profilesThai Gaming and Esports: Studio Economics and Mobile-First Market
Endorses startup-category Smart Visa applicants via accelerator-affiliated programmes.
Open report →
Sits alongside 2 other Atlas profilesThai Startup Funding: YC Thailand Pipeline and the Seed-to-Series-A Tier
Endorses startup-category Smart Visa applicants via accelerator-affiliated programmes.
Open report →
Sits alongside 7 other Atlas profiles