From the Bangkok Post:

Minister cool on IT

Comworld 2007 gave a welcome lift to IT vendors and many shops within Siam Paragon after the retail sector had been in a relatively gloomy state since the New Year bombs went off. But the event did not get such a good welcome from ICT Minister Sithichai Pokaiudom.

Speaking at the opening of the exhibition, the minister said that it was wrong of Thai people to admire modern technology, which was not developed by Thai people. "It is a fake development because the country is now getting worse as almost everything at the exhibition here is imported and nothing is made by Thais," he said.

The minister stated that "Thai computers" should mean Thais producing component parts, not just assembling, and that they should also design the products.

"It is sad that today we cannot find any Thai products. The technology show here provides foreigners an opportunity to take money from Thai people. To be truly proud, it should show technology that has been developed by Thais," the ICT Minister said.

.............

There's so much that could be said about this, but I'm truly speechless.

Perhaps he might address WHY nothing is Thai-made, why there is no IT sector here, instead of making yet another anti foreigner rant from someone who lives in the dark ages.

From the Bangkok Post:

Minister cool on IT

Comworld 2007 gave a welcome lift to IT vendors and many shops within Siam Paragon after the retail sector had been in a relatively gloomy state since the New Year bombs went off. But the event did not get such a good welcome from ICT Minister Sithichai Pokaiudom.

Speaking at the opening of the exhibition, the minister said that it was wrong of Thai people to admire modern technology, which was not developed by Thai people. "It is a fake development because the country is now getting worse as almost everything at the exhibition here is imported and nothing is made by Thais," he said.

The minister stated that "Thai computers" should mean Thais producing component parts, not just assembling, and that they should also design the products.

"It is sad that today we cannot find any Thai products. The technology show here provides foreigners an opportunity to take money from Thai people. To be truly proud, it should show technology that has been developed by Thais," the ICT Minister said.

.............

There's so much that could be said about this, but I'm truly speechless.

Perhaps he might address WHY nothing is Thai-made, why there is no IT sector here, instead of making yet another anti foreigner rant from someone who lives in the dark ages.

I am getting the message with this lot - pure, unadulterated thai = good; tainting by foreigners = evil.

Wrong for Thais to to admire modern technology, which was not developed by Thai people?? WFT??

It seems he is after a "pure" thai solution, from design, component manufacture, assembly, testing and sale. Hitler had similar ideals about the direction of the German economy and nation in the mid to late 30's...

Maybe THAI should build their own airplanes too.

Silly bugger.

Guess it's the same guy who made this statement:

"Thailand's newly appointed Information and Communications Technology Minister has slammed open source software as useless and full of bugs: "With open source, there is no intellectual property. "

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...=minister+slams

The hi-so won't like trading in their Benzs for water buffalo and wagon.

BTW...just how did that minister get to Siam Paragon.....walk ?

From the Bangkok Post:

"It is sad that today we cannot find any Thai products. The technology show here provides foreigners an opportunity to take money from Thai people. To be truly proud, it should show technology that has been developed by Thais," the ICT Minister said.

So l guess he'll be kicking Seagate and Western Digital out of Thailand soon so Thailand can develop replacement products. On that basis maybe all countries should ban Thai imports that provide Thailand with an opportunity to take money away from them. Free trade agreement anyone?

Thailand -(minus) cars - mobiles - computers - motorbikes - electricity - aeroplanes = your call

Did they design, develop, test and deploy their own satellites? Somehow i don't think so.

Did Thai's invent Concrete? Steel? Electricity? Or were they taken from inventions from outside the glorious country? Somehow i don't think so.

When all is said and done, without foreign knowledge of some kind Thailand would still be living in mud huts and using basic flint based tools to catch/cook their own food whilst the rest of the world uses modern day appliances.

I understand their desire to keep things 'Thai' but this is simply going too far.

To quote cdnvic:

Silly bugger

Maybe THAI should build their own airplanes too. rolleyes.gif

And their own airports

What a nob. Maybe he'd be proud riding a buffalo to the office...

Guess it's the same guy who made this statement:

"Thailand's newly appointed Information and Communications Technology Minister has slammed open source software as useless and full of bugs: "With open source, there is no intellectual property. "

You beat me to it.

Seriously, someone should replace this guy before he screws up the IT industry (such as it is). The last thing Thailand needs is to further spook foreign investors. The country already has a big fat UNSTABLE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT label on it, why make it worse?

Malaysia takes a different view.

Foreign companies that choose to relocate to both the soon-to-be developed MSC Cyberport City and the existing Menara MSC Cyberport which has been in operation since August 2006, will also enjoy the MSC Malaysia Bill of Guarantees incentives. These include 10-year tax-free breaks, 100 percent foreign ownership, and freedom of bringing in knowledge workers.

Singapore takes quite a different view as well. Obviously, embracing dirty foreign technology and investment has completely devastated their economy.

From the Bangkok Post:

Speaking at the opening of the exhibition, the minister said that it was wrong of Thai people to admire modern technology, which was not developed by Thai people. "It is a fake development because the country is now getting worse as almost everything at the exhibition here is imported and nothing is made by Thais," he said.

The minister stated that "Thai computers" should mean Thais producing component parts, not just assembling, and that they should also design the products.

"It is sad that today we cannot find any Thai products. The technology show here provides foreigners an opportunity to take money from Thai people. To be truly proud, it should show technology that has been developed by Thais," the ICT Minister said.

For the ones that don't think that xenophobia is alive and well here,they should read this statement.

From the Bangkok Post:

Minister cool on IT

Comworld 2007 gave a welcome lift to IT vendors and many shops within Siam Paragon after the retail sector had been in a relatively gloomy state since the New Year bombs went off. But the event did not get such a good welcome from ICT Minister Sithichai Pokaiudom.

Speaking at the opening of the exhibition, the minister said that it was wrong of Thai people to admire modern technology, which was not developed by Thai people. "It is a fake development because the country is now getting worse as almost everything at the exhibition here is imported and nothing is made by Thais," he said.

The minister stated that "Thai computers" should mean Thais producing component parts, not just assembling, and that they should also design the products.

"It is sad that today we cannot find any Thai products. The technology show here provides foreigners an opportunity to take money from Thai people. To be truly proud, it should show technology that has been developed by Thais," the ICT Minister said.

.............

There's so much that could be said about this, but I'm truly speechless.

Perhaps he might address WHY nothing is Thai-made, why there is no IT sector here, instead of making yet another anti foreigner rant from someone who lives in the dark ages.

It must be feeding time at the zoo again?!

A request to mods, I do think this thread, or at least the quote should feature in the News section, since this statement of policy {attitude} from a government minister deserves the widest audience.

Regards

Be carefull now before ThaiGoon comes in and preaches that you could all go home for not praising this insightfull comments made by the oh-so-clever people in the top.

The guys got a point, there aren't exactly many IT companies here producing anything, why not? I don't see it as xenephobic to want your country to actually be building high tech equipment rather than just importing it all.

I know that AMD and some of the hard drive guys build stuff here, and Nikon etc... but there don't seem to be ANY home name brands of anything available except food.

For example you would think that somewhere that buys the most pickup trucks per capita, taxes imports heavily and builds millions of them a year would have a Thai brand, like Malaysia, Korea and just about every other country in the world has.

You're forgetting TIGER motorcycles.

You're forgetting TIGER motorcycles.

Heh, yeah the only ones they can sell them to are dumb foreigners. The Thai's take a wide berth!

There is Thairung ......

http://www.thairung.co.th/

Sometimes nothing is the best thing to say

Regards

Well fking develop something and stop whinging about it.

The guys got a point, there aren't exactly many IT companies here producing anything, why not?

Really? You don't know why not?

In an amazing coincidence, also in today's Bangkok Post.

here

No I don't actually!

No I don't actually!

Please read the other Post article.

I read the article and it speaks more about IT operations than manufacturing, They can find people skilled enough to build processors, digital cameras and flatscreen TV's so I don't think its an employment issue else how would these high-tech operations run factories in Thailand.

Surely its about entrepreneurship rather than anything else, Thailand had one of the most successful satellite internets in the world, if they could just replicate that in other areas (and then not sell them off).

I read the article and it speaks more about IT operations than manufacturing, They can find people skilled enough to build processors, digital cameras and flatscreen TV's so I don't think its an employment issue else how would these high-tech operations run factories in Thailand.

Surely its about entrepreneurship rather than anything else, Thailand had one of the most successful satellite internets in the world, if they could just replicate that in other areas (and then not sell them off).

Yes, good point, the two articles are related but not on entirely the same point.

I would point to R&D in which Thailand has a woeful record. If you can't design them (or won't invest in R&D), then you'll probably just end up assembling other's machines.

I can see the Ministress of Culture saying something this xenophobic, but the minister of ICT? In effect, sending a message to the billions of baht-investments of IT, "Go away!!" Cabinet ministers are assumed by foreigners to speak for the entire regime/junta, so that is the official policy, apparently, maybe, perhaps....