Artificial Intelligence Integration in Competency-Based Short-Term Vocational Education in Thailand: Policy, Practice, and Future Directions

Thailand’s short-term vocational education is strategically positioned to support rapid upskilling, reskilling, occupational mobility, and inclusive lifelong learning. At the same time, artificial intelligence (AI) is changing both the competencies demanded by workplaces and the means through which vocational education can be designed, delivered, assessed, and governed. This article presents a critical integrative review of Thai policy documents, official vocational-education initiatives, international frameworks, and peer-reviewed literature published or available through July 2026. It examines the alignment among Thailand’s Vocational Education Act, National Qualifications Framework, professional qualification system, National AI Strategy and Action Plan (2022–2027), data-protection obligations, and emerging AI practices within the Office of the Vocational Education Commission. The analysis finds a strong policy rationale for AI-enabled competency-based short courses, together with emerging digital platforms, AI-related teacher development, and occupationally oriented course provision. Nevertheless, implementation remains fragmented. Major gaps concern nationally comparable AI competency profiles, stackable credentials, trustworthy assessment, educator capability, access equity, data governance, employer recognition, and evidence of learning and labour-market outcomes. In response, the article proposes an AI-Integrated Competency-Based Short-Course Framework (AI-CBSC) comprising seven mutually reinforcing pillars: labour-market and occupational-standard alignment; dual-layer occupational and AI competencies; modular and stackable curriculum architecture; human-centred AI-enabled pedagogy; authentic human-in-the-loop assessment; responsible data and AI governance; and continuous quality assurance informed by learner and employer evidence. A four-phase implementation roadmap is advanced for readiness, piloting, scaling, and institutionalization. The article argues that AI should augment—not replace—vocational teachers, workplace mentors, assessors, and learner agency. Thailand’s future direction should therefore prioritize interoperable competency standards, Thai-language and sector-specific AI resources, inclusive infrastructure, transparent credentials, independent evaluation, and multi-agency governance. The proposed framework offers a practical basis for policy design, institutional pilots, quality assurance, and further empirical research.