E-learning in Thailand: Mapping the Digital Divide, published by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in 2022, offers a comprehensive and data-driven examination of the structural inequalities shaping digital education access in Thailand — an issue brought into sharp relief by the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted the learning of over 15 million students nationwide. Produced in coordination with UNESCO and UNICEF, the report draws on data from multiple government agencies — including the Office of the Basic Education Commission, the National Statistical Office, and the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society — to map the state of Internet connectivity, digital device availability, and ICT skills among students and teachers across both schools and households. The study reveals persistent and multidimensional divides: rural schools lag behind urban counterparts in bandwidth sufficiency; students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds face acute shortages of devices both at school and at home; and mobile-dependent Internet access remains financially prohibitive for many families. While Thailand ranks favorably among ASEAN nations in overall school connectivity, the report underscores that headline statistics mask significant regional and socioeconomic disparities that risk deepening learning inequalities in a post-pandemic world. The report concludes with a set of evidence-based policy recommendations targeting data transparency, bandwidth standards, device-to-student ratios, rural connectivity incentives, and Internet affordability — making it an essential resource for policymakers, educators, and development practitioners working toward inclusive digital education in Thailand and the broader Asia-Pacific region.
