Factors influencing digital technology adoption for the sustainable growth of SMEs in Thailand

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are essential to Thailand’s economic growth, making up 99.8% of all businesses in the country. This study explores the main factors that affect the sustainable growth of digital technology adoption among Thai SMEs. A mixed-methods approach was used, combining qualitative data from the Rough Set Delphi method with 20 industry experts and quantitative data from a survey of 848 SME owners. The study focuses on eight key factors: social media usage, service quality, attitude, perceived behavioral control, subjective norms, satisfaction, intention to use, and actual usage behavior. The results show that attitude has the strongest impact on sustainable growth, followed by intention to use. Subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and satisfaction are equally important. Experts agreed that social media plays a key role in improving customer relationships and collecting useful data. These findings offer useful guidance for policymakers and business support agencies to design effective strategies that help Thai SMEs adopt digital technologies more successfully.