Dr. Ekniti Nitithanprapas, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, joined the opening of the “LINE MAN Wongnai Merchant AI Accelerator,” a seminar designed to help restaurant owners build AI skills and apply technology to their businesses, supporting Thailand’s economy in keeping pace with global changes. Yod Chinsupakul, CEO of LINE MAN Wongnai, presented the results of government programs implemented through digital platforms. At the event, LINE MAN Wongnai also introduced “Wongnai Genie,” an AI assistant for restaurants. More than 100 restaurant owners joined the seminar to learn how AI can be applied to real business operations.
Dr. Ekniti Nitithanprapas, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, said, “The Ministry of Finance aims to use technology as an important tool to create economic opportunities and distribute income to businesses at all levels, especially SMEs and small merchants, which are an important foundation of the Thai economy. The ‘Thais Help Thais Plus’ program is an example of how the government can work with digital platforms to make support measures reach businesses quickly, widely, and continuously.”
Yod Chinsupakul, Chief Executive Officer of LINE MAN Wongnai, said, “Connecting government programs with technology platforms can turn short-term support into sustainable growth. This can be clearly seen through the ‘Thais Help Thais Plus’ program, where LINE MAN ranked No. 1 in merchant participation, with more than 59,000 merchants joining through the platform. The program helped distribute more than THB 2.57 billion in government subsidies through 16 million LINE MAN orders to small merchants across all 77 provinces and 266 districts nationwide. The results show how government programs combined with technology can help merchants in three key areas:
- Boosting sales through government programs: LINE MAN Wongnai data shows that total merchant sales from “Thais Help Thais Plus” have already reached 1.8 X* the sales generated by “Half-Half Plus,” even though the program has not yet ended. This growth has been supported by a larger budget and the continuous distribution of funds to merchants each month. By the end of the program, total merchant sales are expected to reach 2 times the previous program. Data from an earlier government program also showed that merchant sales continued to grow by around 10%** after the program ended.
- Building sustainable growth through technology: Using a restaurant management system, or POS, can help merchants move from simply “selling more in the short term” to “managing their businesses better.” Merchants participating in government programs recorded a business survival rate of 84%, while those that also used a POS system achieved a survival rate of up to 93%.
- Scaling businesses with data and improving access to funding: Sales data from POS systems gives merchants structured business information that can support SME loan applications and help them access funding to grow their businesses through LINE MAN Wongnai and its partners. Over the past 12 months, more than 30,000 merchants have accessed working capital through LINE MAN Wongnai. In the near future, merchants will also be able to use their sales data when applying for guarantee support under the Nano Plus Credit Guarantee Program from the Thai Credit Guarantee Corporation.
These three areas show that connecting government programs with technology creates benefits beyond short-term sales. It helps small businesses build growing income, manage their operations more systematically, and gain access to funding for business expansion. With support from both the public and private sectors in upskilling and reskilling, small merchants can strengthen their capabilities, compete more effectively, and grow over the long term. When this approach is expanded on a larger scale, it can support Thailand’s grassroots economy and contribute to the country’s overall economic growth.”
Dr. Ekniti and the executive team also visited activity booths and digital technology training sessions for merchants. They met restaurant owners who participated in the “Thai Chuay Thai Plus” program and have successfully used technology to grow their businesses, including “Tom Yum Yua by Botan” and the legendary “Prajak Roasted Duck.”
The event also featured a practical discussion titled “Upskilling Modern Restaurant Owners: Using AI and Technology to Drive Profit.” The session was led by Ekaluck Viriyakovithya, Managing Director of Merchant Digital Solutions, LINE MAN Wongnai, together with Kan–Atthakorn Rattanarom, Co-Founder and CEO of BEARHOUSE, and Ku–Kunapong Techavoraprasert owner of the “Khai Dee Pai Duay Kan” page and “Hom Mun Khao Man Gai” restaurant. The speakers shared their real business experiences in using data and AI, followed by a workshop for more than 100 restaurant owners. The workshop focused on upskilling and reskilling merchants to use AI and POS data to analyze their businesses, plan sales and marketing, improve restaurant management, and create new opportunities for business growth.
Introducing “Wongnai Genie,” an AI Assistant for Restaurants Developed by Thais, for Thai Businesses
Another key highlight of the event was the introduction of “Wongnai Genie,” an AI assistant for restaurants developed based on LINE MAN Wongnai’s understanding of Thai restaurant businesses and data within its ecosystem. Wongnai Genie works like a restaurant manager’s assistant that is available 24/7, helping restaurant owners understand and manage different areas of their businesses.
For business overview, Wongnai Genie can bring together sales data, analyze costs and profits across different sales channels, and provide reports from the system. For customer and sales insights, it can help owners understand information such as best-selling menu items and peak customer periods. For restaurant planning, it can help plan staff shifts based on sales. It can also support sales growth and cost reduction by providing recommendations on promotions and cost management. These features help restaurant owners see a clearer picture of their businesses and make decisions more easily.
Wongnai Genie is now being gradually rolled out to merchants using Wongnai POS, with access available through Wongnai POS Web Owner and the Wongnai POS Manager application.
At the same time, LINE MAN Wongnai is developing more capabilities for Wongnai Genie. These include comparing business performance with similar restaurants, analyzing customer behavior through CRM data, and helping restaurants automatically manage menu items, prices, and promotions on Wongnai POS and LINE MAN.
LINE MAN Wongnai aims to expand Wongnai Genie to more than 520,000 restaurants nationwide, helping more restaurant owners — including those that do not currently use a POS system — gain greater access to AI technology.
*Based on total GMV generated by merchants on LINE MAN: “Thais Help Thais Plus” from June 15–September 18, 2026, compared with “Half-Half Plus” from November 7–December 31, 2025.
**Based on average daily GMV following the end of the “Half-Half Plus” program, from January–May 2026.
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LINE MAN Wongnai’s Corporate Communication team: pr@lmwn.com
