IMPACT OF DIGITAL FDI ON THAILAND’S ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION: MODERATING EFFECTS OF TECHNOLOGY SPILLOVERS AND SKILLS MISMATCH
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As the global economy transitions into the Web 3.0 era, digital Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has emerged as a critical catalyst for economic transformation in developing nations. This study examines how digital FDI influences Thailand’s economic transformation, with particular attention to the moderating roles of technology spillovers and skills mismatch. Employing a quantitative research design, we collected 150 valid questionnaire responses from professionals in Thailand’s technology and industrial sectors. Hierarchical regression analysis
Reveals that digital FDI exerts a significant positive effect on economic transformation (β = 0.430, p < 0.001). Technology spillover demonstrates a significant positive moderating effect, indicating that local absorptive capacity is essential for maximizing the benefits of digital FDI. While skills mismatch did not exhibit a significant moderating effect, it displays a potent direct negative influence (β = −0.400, p < 0.001) on transformation, functioning as a structural barrier. These findings suggest that Thailand must prioritize human capital investment to translate foreign “hard investment” into endogenous “soft power,” thereby achieving a fundamental leap in its economic paradigm.
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