Single-number call centre on track: Surapong

Published on Nov 8, 2003

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's plan to give citizens 24-hour-a day access to all branches of his government via one telephone number is making progress, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Minister Surapong Suebwonglee said yesterday.

The Foreign and ICT ministries as well as the Prime Minister's Office have already started shifting information services to a new integrated call centre, which will amalgamate the call centres of each ministry, Surapong said. The remaining 16 ministries will be connected next year, he said.

The one-stop call centre is part of the e-government project, which is designed to use more information technology to serve the public and amalgamate ministries' call centres.

The centre is scheduled to begin operating in January, and within the next year will provide information from all ministries via telephone, fax or multimedia channels, Surapong said. Initially, however, information from some ministries will be accessible by telephone only, he added. Callers will be able to contact the centre by dialling 1111.

TOT Corp, which operates the contact centre, will charge fixed-line callers a flat fee of Bt3 per call. Charges for callers using mobile phones will vary according to the rates of their operators. TOT leased the call centre's hardware and software from South Korea's Locus for five years in a deal worth Bt800 million.

Wichien Naksrinual, executive vice president of TOT in charge of the project, said that initially the call centre would employ 300 operators.

"We can expand to 1,000 if need be," he said, adding that the centre would have one supervisor per 20 operators to ensure quality service.

"If there is poor service, you can complain to us and the ministries," he said.

The call centre is also a new source of revenue for TOT. It will charge the ministries Bt30,000 per operator per month for providing the service, Wichien said.

Some state officials, however, remain cautious.

"I worry whether we can afford the cost due to the constrained budget," said an official from the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry.

Wichien said that the rate is cheap and that all ministries would save on the operating costs of their own call centres.

A Justice Ministry official wanted to know how committed the ICT Ministry is to the project.

"If there's a change among those in charge, who will take care of this? It always happens that when there's a change at the head, these kinds of projects are delayed," she said.

Sirivish Toomgum

THE NATION 2003-11-08

I'd hoped to make a person to person call to Purachai to ascertain whether I'd go to heaven if I adopted his narrow views on life

So now we can be passed from operator to operator instead of from window to window!

Velly solly sir no speak Eeeeenglishhhh

A "Frank" Exchange

Call Thaksin 24/7
 

I’d rather call him a ****

13 minutes ago, RubbaJohnny said:

A "Frank" Exchange

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2 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

How did you manage to find that

Do want the secret, either  I clicked on first , rather than next post in error OR I can sell you "SNIFFERAMA" device that detects , metal, BS, overstayers and sleeping cougars 88 baht plus postage.

Topic is 17 years old.

 

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