Process Mechanisms for Developing Digital Literacy and Skills among Thai Civil Society: A Case Study of Bangkok and the Eastern Economic Corridor

Abstract

This article aimed to examine the procedural mechanisms of digital literacy development and its operational applications, as well as analyze enabling conditions and structural barriers to digital literacy development in Thai civil society. The research areas cover Bangkok and the Eastern Economic Corridor. Key informants were selected through purposive sampling, comprising 54 social leaders and social workers from 28 civil society organizations (CSOs). Data were gathered via semi-structured in-depth interviews and analyzed utilizing content analysis and inductive generalization, with findings presented through descriptive narratives. The research findings reveal that the procedural mechanisms for developing digital literacy in Thai civil society consist of three phases: 1) Access & Understand, 2) Use & Apply, and 3) Create & Network. Civil society’s digital skill development arises from horizontal learning grounded in social capital and personal ties, forming a digital mentoring ecosystem. Key structural barriers including legal and ethical constraints, and budgetary limitations, both impeding progression to the creative phase. Policy recommendations suggest supporting hidden structural costs, such as software fees and internet access charges, along with updating government regulations, to align with the digital era and reduce structural digital inequality. These findings provide practical guidelines for scaling digital literacy development for Thai civil society in alignment with actual local contexts, with the digital mentoring ecosystem and horizontal learning serving as key systemic mechanisms.