Press Release
Bangkok, Thailand – Digital platforms across Southeast Asia have evolved beyond offering commercial transactions, to strengthening policy implementation and expanding access to essential services for citizens. These insights came from Tech for Good Institute’s upcoming regional report, with key findings shared for the first time during the “Digital Platforms for Public Benefits” event, a public forum featuring expert panel discussions and attended by more than X stakeholders from the government, private sector, think-tank and academia. The event was organised by the Tech for Good Institute (TFGI) in partnership with the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI).
Making the Invisible Economy Visible
Based on extensive research and multi-stakeholder consultations across the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia, the report explores, amongst others, how digital platforms are providing unprecedented visibility into previously underserved populations. Platforms are generating real-time data on informal workers, microenterprises, and unbanked communities that were previously invisible to policymakers, enabling governments to design more adaptive, targeted interventions to support them.
The research also identifies several critical areas where platform-government collaboration shows significant promise to improve the lives of citizens and their livelihoods:
Social Program Delivery & Financial Inclusion: Digital wallets and payment platforms are facilitating broader financial access and serving as efficient channels for social assistance and emergency aid, reaching millions who had never received digital payments.
E-Government Services & Last-Mile Reach: Platform networks are enhancing the government’s ability to reach remote communities and informal workers, making public services accessible on smartphones in minutes rather than days.
Market Access & Economic Opportunity: Marketplace platforms connect rural producers to national markets, support MSME growth, and create opportunities for previously marginalised communities.
The Future of Platform and Government Collaboration
Looking ahead, the report advocates outcome-based, sandbox-style regulation to ensure policies remain fit for purpose in the region’s fast-changing digital landscape. This approach allows governments to test platform-enabled solutions, learn quickly from results, and also give space for platforms to innovate.
“Inclusive governance increasingly involves collaboration between public and private sectors, where different stakeholders bring complementary strengths. When designed thoughtfully, such partnerships not only reduce costs but also expand what is possible, benefiting citizens.
This research provides a crucial step in building a shared understanding that digital platforms, when harnessed well, can be a powerful force for a more inclusive and prosperous society.”
Citra Handayani Nasruddin
Programme Director of TFGI.
Dr. Salinthon Thongmeensuk, Senior Researcher at TDRI, stated that digital platforms are enabling the government to reach people outside the traditional service system.
“We are seeing solutions through platforms, including open banking models, expanding services to groups inaccessible to traditional financial institutions. A key lesson is the need for collaboration in policy design. Successful models must have a data sharing framework, citizen protection measures, and interagency coordination mechanisms to ensure that innovation translates into practical equality.”
Dr. Salinthon Thongmeensuk
Senior Researcher at TDRI
About the Tech for Good Institute
Tech for Good Institute (TFGI) is a non-profit organisation founded in 2021 to encourage conversations and dialogue on how the promise of technology and the digital economy may be leveraged to enable sustainable, equitable, and inclusive growth for Southeast Asia.
About the Thailand Development Research Institute
The Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) is an independent, non-profit policy research institute committed to conducting policy-relevant research and disseminating results to the public and private sectors.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Citra H Nasruddin
Programme Director, TFGI
[email protected]
Event Details:
Date: Wednesday, 3 December 2025
Time: 09:30 – 11:30 AM (Main Session), 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM (Networking Lunch)
Location: Eastin Grand Hotel Sathorn, 33/1 S Sathon Rd, Yannawa, Khet Sathon, Bangkok 10120
Language: English with simultaneous Thai-English interpretation
