The Future of Autonomous Vehicles in Thailand

The technology that is usually discussed alongside electric vehicle is autonomous vehicle (AV) which is also known as connected and autonomous vehicle technologies (CAV). This technology involves the integration of many advanced technologies including artificial intelligence (AI), computer vision, and various electronic sensors to drive a vehicle without manual control. Currently, autonomous vehicles are already used to transport passengers and deliver goods in some areas of some countries such as China and the United States. The Society of Automotive Engineers International (SAE) has defined 6 levels of autonomous vehicle technology as follows:

Level 0 (No Driving Automation): A human driver completely controls the driving system.

Level 1 (Driver Assistance): An automated system can assist a human driver.

Level 2 (Partial Driving Automation): An automated system can perform part of the driving function, while the human driver observes the environment and is the primary driver.

Level 3 (Conditional Driving Automation): An automated system can drive and monitor some of the environment. However, human drivers must be ready to take control when necessary.

Level 4 (High Driving Automation): The autonomous system drives and monitors the driving environment without human intervention, but only in specified environments and conditions.

Level 5 (Full Driving Automation): The autonomous system performs all driving operations under conditions equivalent to human driving.

In addition, autonomous vehicle technology is in line with the two megatrends which are innovation and sustainability. Therefore, many companies are devoting their resources into developing this technology because they believe it will meet the needs of both innovation and sustainable urban and economic development.

Deployment of autonomous vehicles in Thailand

The Thai government has set the autonomous vehicles as one of the key development goals alongside the promotion of electric vehicles to push Thailand toward the “Electric Vehicle Hub of ASEAN”. Thus, a close collaboration between the public and private sectors is formed to formulate policy and set goals regarding the development of prototypes and modern automotive products, software and hardware, as well as regulations, laws and various support guidelines.

Currently, most research on electric vehicles in Thailand is still at level 3 (Conditional Driving Automation), where cars can drive themselves in designed environments and conditions, such as along a specified route, stopping at parking spots, and braking when there is an obstacle in a closed area. However, it still requires human control in some cases such as when a motorcycle or a person cut in front of the car.

In this regard, Thailand already launched the country's first unmanned electric bus, which ran around the Ayutthaya Historical Park and could be called and reserved via an application between January and July of 2024. This project was hosted by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), which provided 27 million baht in funding to the Mobility & Vehicle Technology Research Center (MOVE), King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, which was primarily responsible for the development, along with Turnkey Communication Services (TKC) - an expert in 5G systems and digital communication called C-VX2 (Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything), Gen Serve Co, Panus Assembly Company, and Next Point.

Developing a fully-fledged autonomous vehicle technology in Thailand still has a way to go as it requires development in many areas, especially safety. In addition to policies and regulations, it also requires the development of infrastructure, human resource, and the creation of public awareness and confidence for the sustainable growth of modern vehicles in Thailand.

The Future of Autonomous Vehicles in Thailand

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