Access to ICT in rural and urban Thailand

• We study ICT adoption of Thai households using nationally representative data.
• The rural–urban gap of mobile phone adoption was negligible in 2009.
• The rural–urban gap of other ICTs in Thailand has persisted.
• Having a family member migrate increases the likelihood of mobile phone adoption.

This paper addresses the information and communication technology adoption decisions of Thai households. The findings suggest that household composition, education, wealth, and occupation are key factors determining information and communication technology adoption. The rural–urban gap of mobile phone adoption was negligible in 2009 after controlling for household characteristics, while the gaps for other information and communication technologies have persisted. Having a family member migrate to work elsewhere significantly increases the likelihood of mobile phone adoption.