AgroFEX Forum 2026 Korat Recap: 3 Lessons on AI and CRM for Agri-Food SMEs

Last Updated: 16 Sep, 2026 By Privage

Many agri-food entrepreneurs excel at production, but the same question always follows: how do you get products from the farm to customers, and bring those customers back again? That was the challenge behind AgroFEX Forum 2026, where the team at Privage, a CRM and loyalty program platform for Thai businesses, joined as one of the speakers from the MarTech Association (Thailand).

The event took place on September 15, 2026, at the Northeastern Regional Science Park 2 in Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat). It was organized by the Federation of Thai Industries Nakhon Ratchasima Chapter with the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) and the Science Park, as a hands-on training program for agri-food entrepreneurs designed to connect them with downstream markets at FOODER 2026.

From farm to market: the challenge for Korat's entrepreneurs

AgroFEX Forum follows the idea of "Learn → Connect → Build → Create Business Opportunities". Entrepreneurs met food and agri-processing researchers, academics who help with product development, agencies that guide businesses into certified standards, and a marketing Platform & Solution session by the MarTech Association (Thailand). After the training, participants can continue on to FOODER 2026, from October 30 to November 1, 2026, at Central Korat.

For our team, what stood out was that the event doesn't stop at product development; it goes all the way to the market, which is exactly where customer data starts to matter.

On the MarTech stage: how practical are AI and CRM for agri-food SMEs?

From 1:00 to 2:00 p.m., the marketing Platform & Solution session was moderated by Chananya Laohapan (Fai), Co-founder of PAM Real CDP and VP of the MarTech Association (Thailand), with two speakers:

Amat Suwannarat, CEO & Founder of Privage (AI + CRM)
Kittisak Artkonghan (Bas), MD of Mekha (AI + Automation)

Chananya opened with problems many SMEs know well: losing customers because a chat reply came a little too late, and missing sales because data is scattered everywhere. She framed AI not as a luxury for large corporations, but as a tool that frees up time so teams can focus on building relationships with customers.

On CRM, Amat explained that as AI makes general knowledge cheaper, what becomes more valuable is each business's own data. POS, CRM and CDP systems are like preparing ingredients that AI can use right away. He also noted that broadcasting to everyone is the most expensive approach: to cut advertising costs, businesses need to group customers systematically and communicate with each group directly.

On AI chat, Kittisak pointed out that a single message holds more business data than we think. For example, a customer who wants 5 kilos of sweet mangoes as a gift every two weeks has just shared a product, a preference, a quantity and a purchase cycle. AI can extract all of that into the CRM automatically, and help tell apart chats that are ready to buy from complaints that should go to a human.

Taken together, CRM and AI chat work as one system: chat is where data comes in, CRM is where it's stored and segmented, and AI helps analyze it and suggest what to do next.

At the Privage booth

While Amat was on stage, Warintorn Silpakitkosol (Namcha) from our Marketing Communication team was at the Privage booth, advising agri-food entrepreneurs on membership programs, points, coupons and long-term customer relationships.

3 things we kept thinking about, and how Thai businesses can apply them

1. AI can't use data in a notebook, so start collecting it digitally

Many small restaurants and farmers still write customer names and phone numbers in a notebook, or don't record them at all. AI can't analyze data like that. The easiest place to start is a loyalty program: every time customers collect points, they tell you who they are and what they buy, without feeling like their data is being collected.

Apply it: Start with a LINE OA membership program where customers earn points on every purchase. Favorite dishes, fruit purchases and buying cycles are then captured automatically as first-party data.

2. Agri-food products have clear buying cycles, so reach out at the right time

Rice runs out every month; fruit is ordered every week. These cycles are an advantage many other businesses don't have. If you know what customers buy and how often, you can invite them back before they run out, instead of waiting for them to remember or buy from someone else.

Apply it: Use Broadcast Automation to send messages based on each group's buying cycle — for example, contacting customers who buy rice every 30 days on day 25 with an offer that suits them.

3. Stop broadcasting to everyone and put chat data to work

Advertising or broadcasting to everyone is the most expensive approach. Meanwhile, the chats customers send every day are a rich data source most businesses ignore. When AI helps pull chat data into the CRM, businesses can segment customers more accurately and spend their marketing budget on people who are likely to buy.

Apply it: Segment customers by purchase behavior and send targeted messages. For chats, let AI handle routine questions like prices and opening hours, and pass complaints and key customers to your staff.

From Korat to downstream markets

This was another trip to Korat for our team after Techsauce Global Summit, and it was clear that agri-food entrepreneurs in the region are ready to adopt technology, as long as it's easy to use and shows real results. Privage will take what we heard from these entrepreneurs to make our membership and CRM tools even better suited to businesses with clear buying cycles.

As one of the Community Sponsors of the MarTech Association (Thailand), we thank the Association for inviting Privage to this stage, and thank the Federation of Thai Industries Nakhon Ratchasima Chapter, TCEB and the Northeastern Regional Science Park 2 for helping entrepreneurs move from farm to market.

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Written by: Warintorn Silpakitkosol, Marketing Communication Team, Privage