Advanced Info Service

Advanced Info Service Co., Ltd., widely known by the brand name AIS, is one of Thailand's principal telecommunications and digital-service companies. Its business is centered on wireless communications, but the company has progressively developed into a broader connectivity and technology platform serving consumers, households, businesses, and public-sector or institutional customers in Thailand. Its portfolio includes prepaid and postpaid mobile services, fixed broadband, Wi-Fi, enterprise data connectivity, digital entertainment, payment services, and newer cloud and digital-infrastructure offerings. AIS began in 1986 as a computer-rental business rather than as a mobile operator. It entered telecommunications in October 1990 by launching analog mobile services on the 900 MHz frequency under a concession from the Telephone Organization of Thailand, later known as TOT. The company subsequently became the first operator permitted to use GSM-900 in Thailand. Its early development was strengthened by the acquisition of Shinawatra Paging in 1992 and by the expansion of mobile networks and subscriber services as Thailand's telecommunications market matured. The company became publicly listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand on 5 November 1991. AIS is associated with Intouch Holdings, formerly Shin Corporation. Intouch has been its controlling shareholder, while the wider ownership structure has also included Singapore-linked investment interests. The group relationship became particularly significant after Temasek Holdings acquired Shin Corporation in 2006. AIS remains a separately listed operating company, with ADVANC.BK as its stock-market ticker. AIS's consumer connectivity business includes mobile services under the AIS brand and prepaid services historically marketed under the 1-2-Call name. Its network evolution has included 2G, 3G, LTE, 5G, NB-IoT, and eMTC technologies. The company has also operated a large Wi-Fi hotspot network under AIS SUPER WIFI and has developed converged offerings that combine mobile, home internet, entertainment, and digital services. AIS Fibre represents its fixed-broadband direction, while AIS Play extends the brand into streaming and over-the-top entertainment. The digital portfolio includes mPay, an AIS subsidiary and payment-service provider offering payment processing and e-wallet functions. AIS Play, launched in 2017, has provided video-on-demand, live television, premium channels, and access to third-party streaming services. The platform has also been used to distribute Thai football competitions, including Thai League matches and the Thai FA Cup. In enterprise technology, AIS has offered data-network services and, in June 2025, announced AIS Cloud, a hyperscale cloud service using data centers in Thailand and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure technology. The cloud initiative reflects the company's effort to move beyond telecommunications access into locally operated digital infrastructure. AIS's principal market remains Thailand, where it competes for mobile, broadband, enterprise, and digital-service customers. Its positioning has consequently shifted from that of a conventional cellular operator to an integrated connectivity and digital-services provider. The brand's importance is tied not only to its subscriber network but also to its role in Thailand's digital economy, including consumer communications, home connectivity, content distribution, payments, cloud computing, and business networking.

Advanced Info Service was established in April 1986 and initially operated as a computer-rental business. Its strategic direction changed when it entered mobile telecommunications in October 1990, launching analog 900 MHz services under a 20-year concession from the Telephone Organization of Thailand. The company later became the first operator authorized to run GSM-900 services in Thailand, positioning it to benefit from the rapid shift from analog cellular communication to digital mobile networks. AIS strengthened its early telecommunications position through the acquisition of Shinawatra Paging in June 1992. It also became a publicly traded company on the Stock Exchange of Thailand on 5 November 1991. As mobile adoption increased, the company expanded network capacity, subscriber services, and distribution across Thailand. Its service portfolio included both postpaid offerings and prepaid products sold under the 1-2-Call brand. Over time, AIS's network technologies developed through 2G, 3G WCDMA/HSPA+, LTE, 5G NR, NB-IoT, and eMTC deployments. Ownership has been closely connected with the Intouch group. Intouch Holdings, formerly known as Shin Corporation, became the controlling shareholder of AIS. Temasek Holdings acquired Shin Corporation in 2006, bringing AIS into a corporate structure associated with the Singapore government-owned investment company. The ownership history later became a source of political controversy. In 2014, the People's Democratic Reform Committee called for a boycott of AIS after incorrectly assuming that the company remained owned by the Shinawatra family. AIS gradually expanded beyond cellular connectivity. It developed fixed broadband and home-internet services, operated Wi-Fi hotspots under the AIS SUPER WIFI name, and built enterprise data-network businesses through subsidiaries including Advanced Datanetwork Communications and DataNetwork Solutions. The company also developed mPay as a payment processor and e-wallet business. Historical reference material describes mPay as one of Thailand's major payment-service providers, with relationships involving financial and payment-technology partners. The company entered digital entertainment with AIS Play, launched on 1 February 2017. The platform offered Thai television channels, video-on-demand, 4K content, premium channels, and integrations or access involving international streaming services. AIS Play later became a distribution channel for Thai football, including the country's top professional league and related competitions during the 2021–2022 season. This expansion supported AIS's move toward bundled connectivity and content services rather than a purely network-based business model. In June 2025, AIS announced AIS Cloud, a hyperscale cloud service built around Thai data centers and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. The project was described as a 4 billion baht investment and as a cloud service operated by a Thai company under Thai law. Thailand's Digital Economy Promotion Agency awarded the service its highest stated dSURE accreditation level. AIS Cloud represents a further extension of the company's capabilities into enterprise computing, data residency, and national digital infrastructure. AIS's development therefore spans several stages: computer rental, concession-based analog mobile service, GSM and nationwide cellular expansion, broadband and Wi-Fi, digital entertainment and payments, and cloud infrastructure. Its primary operating market remains Thailand, where it serves individual subscribers, households, and organizations through a portfolio that combines communications access with digital platforms and enterprise technology.

1. 2025AIS Cloud announced

   AIS announced AIS Cloud, a locally operated hyperscale cloud service using Thai data centers and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.

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2. 2021Thai League content partnership

   AIS Play became a broadcaster of Thai League competitions and the Thai FA Cup for the 2021–2022 season.

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3. 2017AIS Play and Next G introduced

   AIS launched its AIS Play OTT platform and announced the Next G mobile service developed with Samsung Electronics.

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4. 1992Shinawatra Paging acquired

   AIS acquired Shinawatra Paging as part of its early telecommunications expansion.

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5. 1991Listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand

   AIS was listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand on 5 November 1991.

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6. 1990Analog 900 MHz mobile service launched

   AIS entered mobile telecommunications by launching analog 900 MHz services under a concession from the Telephone Organization of Thailand.

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7. 1986Company founded

   Advanced Info Service was established in April 1986 and initially operated as a computer-rental business.

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Integrated Thai telecommunications, connectivity, entertainment, payment, and digital-infrastructure provider.

• Mobile communicationsTelecommunications1990

  AIS's foundational business provides mobile voice and data connectivity to consumers and organizations in Thailand. The company's network history covers analog 900 MHz, GSM-900, 3G WCDMA/HSPA+, LTE, 5G NR, NB-IoT, and eMTC technologies. AIS has offered both postpaid and prepaid services, with prepaid mobile historically marketed under the 1-2-Call brand. Modern mobile offerings include time-based, volume-based, and unlimited data structures, although individual plans change over time.

• AIS FibreFixed broadband

  AIS's fixed-broadband and home-internet business extends the brand beyond mobile connectivity. It serves households and other users with fixed internet access and supports the company's converged approach, in which mobile, home connectivity, entertainment, and digital services can be presented as parts of one broader customer relationship.

• AIS SUPER WIFIWi-Fi connectivity

  AIS SUPER WIFI is the company's branded Wi-Fi hotspot service. Reference material describes a network of more than 100,000 hotspots, making it a complementary access layer to AIS's cellular and fixed-broadband networks.

• AIS PlayDigital entertainment2017

  AIS Play is an OTT and digital-entertainment platform launched in 2017. It has offered free-to-air channels, local programming, video-on-demand, 4K content, AIS Play Originals, and premium packages containing international channels. The service has also provided access or integration involving major streaming platforms and served as a distribution platform for Thai football competitions.

• mPayPayments and e-wallet

  mPay is an AIS subsidiary operating in payment processing and electronic-wallet services. Historical reference material identifies it as one of Thailand's major payment-service providers and notes partnerships with organizations including CIMB and 2C2P. Its activities have included services for end users and merchant or agent networks.

• Enterprise data communicationsEnterprise telecommunications

  AIS's enterprise portfolio includes online data communications and telephone-line-based data services historically operated through subsidiaries such as Advanced Datanetwork Communications and DataNetwork Solutions. These activities complement mobile and broadband access by addressing business networking and connectivity requirements.

• AIS CloudCloud computing2025

  AIS Cloud is a hyperscale cloud service announced in June 2025. It uses data centers located in Thailand, operates under Thai law, and is powered by Oracle Cloud Infrastructure technology. AIS positioned the service as locally operated digital infrastructure for corporate customers, with its launch associated with a 4 billion baht investment and dSURE 3-Star certification from Thailand's Digital Economy Promotion Agency.

• 2021AIS Play Thai football distribution

  Thailand

  AIS partnered with the Thai League to distribute Thai League 1, Thai League 2, Thai League 3, and Thai FA Cup matches through AIS Play during the 2021–2022 season. The initiative linked AIS connectivity with locally relevant sports entertainment.

  Outcome. AIS Play became a distribution outlet for multiple levels of Thai football competition during the covered season.

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• 2025Expansion into hyperscale cloud infrastructureStrategy

  AIS was broadening its role from network access and digital services into enterprise computing and locally hosted infrastructure.

  What changed. AIS announced AIS Cloud, using Thai data centers and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure technology and operating under Thai law.

  Aftermath. The service extended AIS's enterprise proposition into cloud computing and data-residency-sensitive workloads. The Digital Economy Promotion Agency awarded it dSURE 3-Star certification.

  Announced investment. 4 billion baht (2025 launch announcement)

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• 2017Launch of AIS PlayProduct launch

  AIS was expanding from telecommunications access into digital content and OTT services.

  What changed. The company launched AIS Play with live television, video-on-demand, 4K content, and later premium and partner-streaming offerings.

  Aftermath. AIS Play developed into a broader entertainment platform and later carried Thai football competitions.

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• 2017Introduction of AIS Next GProduct launch

  AIS sought to improve mobile throughput by combining cellular and Wi-Fi technologies.

  What changed. AIS announced Next G in cooperation with Samsung Electronics, combining Wi-Fi and LTE for a gigabit-speed mobile service.

  Aftermath. The announcement positioned AIS as an early promoter of converged high-speed wireless connectivity in Thailand.

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• 2014Political boycott call based on disputed ownership assumptionControversy

  During Thailand's political conflict involving the People's Democratic Reform Committee and the Shinawatra network, the PDRC called for a boycott of AIS. The call was based on an incorrect belief that AIS was owned by the Shinawatra family, despite the company's ownership being connected to the Intouch group and Temasek's acquisition of Shin Corporation.

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• 2025AIS announces launch of AIS Cloud in Thailand

  AIS announced a hyperscale cloud service using local Thai data centers and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure technology. The company said the initiative involved an investment of 4 billion baht and would operate under Thai law. AIS Cloud received dSURE 3-Star certification from Thailand's Digital Economy Promotion Agency.

  Product launch
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• 2021AIS agrees to broadcast Thai League football

  AIS partnered with the Thai League to stream matches from Thai League 1, Thai League 2, Thai League 3, and the Thai FA Cup through AIS Play during the 2021–2022 season.

  CampaignOther
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• 2017AIS launches Next G with Samsung

  AIS announced a partnership with Samsung Electronics to combine Wi-Fi and LTE technologies in a gigabit-speed mobile service branded AIS Next G.

  Product launchProduct generation
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• 2017AIS Play launches as a Thai OTT platform

  AIS launched AIS Play with live channels, video-on-demand, 4K content, and later premium and third-party streaming offerings.

  Product launch
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1. Advanced Info Service
2. AIS official website