This year's Techsauce Global Summit not only gave a glimpse into the not-too-distant future, but also one into Bangkok's present as an up-and-coming global player in technological innovation.
On the expo's main stage yesterday, David Rottblatt, business development director of US-based EmbraerX, painted a picture of a future where autonomous vehicles roam the street while quiet, electric-powered and autonomous aircraft fill the sky.
His company is designing a new breed of airborne vehicle seeking to solve the noise problem intrinsic to aeroplanes and helicopters.
"Noise is very high in cities like New York and Bangkok, but out in rural areas, people pay more to live in peace and quiet," Mr Rottblatt said. "So how can we make sure we develop an aircraft that picks up people to commute to the city, while being quiet for the outside communities?"
EmbraerX's eVTOL aerial vehicles are designed to take off vertically and make as much noise as a Tesla, but Mr Rottblatt said this mode of transport is probably a long way off behind the advent of autonomous vehicles.
The ground floor of Centara Grand at CentralWorld's expo centre featured startups from all over Asia-Pacific, with Thai companies commanding a prolific presence.
At the core of the Thai startup scene were major established firms and their heavily publicised incubators.
HiSo, a bus booking startup with an emphasis on tech-driven safety protocols, was present as part of Total Access Communication's incubator programme.
The company started in DTAC's incubator in May and has taken advantage of opportunities unavailable to lone-wolf startups.
"DTAC's incubator has not only given us office space, but knowledge and know-how of how to grow and expand a business," said Jeerayut Sudjarean, chief marketing officer of HiSo. "They have also been able to connect us with VCs and new funding opportunities."
Since the tech startup scene in Bangkok is relatively new compared with those of regional competitors like Singapore, major firms have taken the lead in trying to artificially jump-start the industry with logistical help, financing and office space.
Also present were startups representing True Digital Park, the massive, recently opened co-working space capable of accommodating 600 startups.
Representing Thailand's burgeoning video game scene was Richmond Chaisiri, chief executive and co-founder of Bit Egg, a Chiang Mai-based game developer working on a new mobile game, Neko Samurai.
Mr Chaisiri began his career in Silicon Valley but moved to Thailand to launch his startup after originally coming to the country just to visit family.
"Why would I want to start a company in one of the most expensive places in the world?" he said. "I came to Thailand because it is one of the fastest-growing gaming markets and we can hire really good developers and artists."