OpenAI Launches 8-Week AI Startup Accelerator in Partnership with Thai Government

OpenAI and Thailand's Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI) officially launched the OpenAI x MHESI AI Accelerator in Bangkok. This program is the first public-private partnership led by the Thai government with OpenAI, focusing on transforming promising prototypes into trusted products for the real market.

Program Overview and Participating Companies

The accelerator runs for 8 weeks, with a total of 10 startups participating, including 5 companies in the healthcare and wellness sector and 5 in the education sector. They receive mentoring in collaboration with partners such as the National Innovation Agency (NIA), Mahidol University, and Techsauce. The participating companies are CARIVA, Wello Food, Dietz, Precisionize, FitSloth, Curico, insKru, Floaino, EasyKids Robotics, and Globish.

AI Adoption Status in Thailand

According to OpenAI's internal data, Thailand ranks within the top 20 globally in terms of weekly active users of ChatGPT. Notably, weekly active usage of Codex in Thailand has surged by more than 350 times since early 2026, also placing it within the global top 20. This indicates that Thai developers are accelerating their pace of using AI to write software and develop products.

Addressing Region-Specific Challenges

This accelerator addresses two key challenges: the growing healthcare demand due to Thailand's aging population and the strengthening of education to prepare for the digital economic transition. Deputy Prime Minister and MHESI Minister Yodchanan Wongsawat stated, "For Thailand to remain competitive in the AI era, it is crucial to have not only access to technology but also the ability to turn it into trusted products," adding, "The goal is to move beyond prototypes to actual implementation."