How Information And Communications Technology Will Change Thailand

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TECHNOLOGY POLICY

How ICT will change Thailand

By Jirapan Boonnoon

Plans drawn for decade-long development strategy

Public hearings are under way in Bangkok and elsewhere in Thailand to consider a draft framework for national policy on information and communications technology covering the next decade.

The draft framework, called ICT 2020, has been developed by the Information and Communications Technology Ministry and the National Electronic and Computer Technology Centre (Nectec). It aims to establish the directions in which information and communications technologies (ICT) will develop in Thailand from 2011 to 2020. It has the concept and goal "Smart Government 2020".

The draft is expected to be submitted to the National Information and Communications Technology Committee by the end of this month, following the end of public hearings, and later to be forwarded to the Cabinet for approval.

Nectec's deputy executive director Chadamas Thuvasethakul said the framework set out to create strategies that would ensure the continued development of ICT to support and enhance the quality of life for all Thai people. It will also create opportunities for Thai people to access knowledge and information via broadband access by ensuring "last mile" [remote rural] access around the country.

The current public hearings both invite public opinions on the draft and promote awareness of ICT 2020, which will come into effect next year. The hearings are expected to be complete by the end of this month. After Cabinet approval, work is expected to begin in October on developing ICT plans for government agencies, according to the provisions of ICT 2020.

The draft framework consists of seven strategies:

1. Providing and developing ICT and broadband infrastructure to allow access to information via broadband Internet for about 95 per cent of Thailand's population by 2020. This will include "last mile" access to remote areas. While about 50 per cent of students in the country currently have computers and can access information from their homes, this will increase to 75 per cent by 2020. Aspects of this strategy also aim to reduce by at least 25 per cent the importing of telecommunications peripherals from international suppliers.

2. Developing ICT human capital and general IT literacy. The draft focuses on three areas: ICT professionals, ICT-competent workers or the general workforce and individual ICT users. The latter aims to reduce the problem of the "digital divide", with the hope that by 2020 at least 75 per cent of Thai people will benefit from IT literacy with ability to access information. At present, only half of the Thai people realise the important role ICT has in the economy, social development and environment issues. The workforce-related goal is to produce people with a capacity for productivity and international standards. ICT experts will be developed to support both the domestic and international markets.

This strategy also encourages the government to spend much more on research and development, which will help to improve Thailand's competitiveness.

3. Enhancing and creating competitiveness for Thailand's ICT industry. The overall aim is to increase the industry's value to the economy by bringing revenue into the country and supporting the Asean community after 2015. The strategy aims for a domestic ICT industry that represents at least 6.5 per cent of gross domestic product by 2015, increasing to 7 per cent by 2020. It also aims for exports of ICT products, digital content and services with a compound annual growth rate of at least 10 per cent.

4. Developing ICT for good governance and smart government. The draft foresees government agencies being able to provide information, knowledge and communication. This "intelligent government" will feature integration, open government data and e-participation, and government e-services portals will provide services to all Thai people with equal quality.

5. Developing and applying ICT in order to lift the productivity of manufacturing and agricultural industries. This strategy will promote smart services and smart agricultural practices that are expected to increase national productivity and reduce logistics costs.

6. Developing ICT for "life-long learning". This strategy will promote the development of low-cost ICT devices for Thai people by local researchers and developers. It will also encourage people to access knowledge online as a form of life-long learning and promote ICT use by all Thai people.

7. Developing ICT for a green economy and society. This strategy will support moves towards the development of green cities and promote the use of ICT to support a green environment.

Chadamas said public hearings in Bangkok and upcountry were gathering information and directions from the public that would help ICT 2020 to enhance Thailand's ICT productivity in the future.

Some people have suggested at the public hearings that the ICT 2020 draft should also cover national security, privacy, network security and the arrival of next-generation networks, in order that these issues, as they may affect Thai people, can be addressed, she said.

-- The Nation 2010-08-12

[kg1947]

.......the way my internet connection is behaving where I am living , change will come in the NEXT century !!

and just as they will upgrade the lines to 10 MB - censorship & keystroke logger will bring it down to a crawl again.

TIT ...

[livinthailandos]

thailand & decade long development strategy. I already starting laughing. Its one thing to plan but other to actually do it. How many times have they tried to get 3G going and failed. Even now I still don't think 3G will happen. Remember thailand's promise of a IT hub. Here's my 2 cents worse what don't ICT focus on current problems and try to complete them, then plan. Oh wait I forgot TIT. For some of their points.

1.Providing and developing ICT and broadband infrastructure to allow access to information via broadband Internet for about 95 per cent of Thailand's population by 2020.This will include "last mile" access to remote areas. ( NOT going to happen unless someone pays serious under the table to make it happen )

2. Developing ICT human capital and general IT literacy. ( Never going to happen until you completely rechange and redevelop education standards in thailand )

3. encourage the government to spend much more on research and development ( more likely money will go into someone's pocket )

4. Developing ICT for good governance and smart government. The draft foresees government agencies being able to provide information, knowledge and communication. This "intelligent government" ( NO comment needed on this one ) i'm already on the floor laughing

Thailand's ministries are more like a ongoing circus event that never stops

[jonclark]

'It has the concept and goal "Smart Government 2020".'

Does that mean we have stupid government 2010, now??

[Thai at Heart]

"How Information and Communications will change Thailand"?

As long as the government obsesses about what information you can communicate with someone in Thailand, the change will be that the government will continue to be the sticking point in developing the internet and communications here.

They can't even tolerate free speech on the internet, get the army out of owning TV channels, manage to put together a nationwide independent radio without endlessly censoring it, so what odds they will allow the internet and communications to flourish?

[RKASA]

'It has the concept and goal "Smart Government 2020".'

Does that mean we have stupid government 2010, now??

No that was 2000 when they came up with the same plan for 2010. The future is here now.

I guess it is only dumb and 10 years behind schedule. Progress Progress

There is no last mile problem in Thailand. Its not big enough to have that problem, Stop dinging around and run some cable - there will be a return - stop worrying about it

Just do it!

[cup-O-coffee]

Is it possible that the Thais are simply following in the footsteps of others with simply no other intention than mimicry; to keep up with the Joneses, so to speak? I have been reading a lot about change in Thailand, but the stories always end up mentioning at some point the reason as being "to attract foreign interests or foreign visitors". Aren't these people interested in making changes that will benefit themselves, and make their country independent, with a firm footing and foundation on the minds of their own people, instead of creating change to support a parasitic existence on the backs of others?

I have not seen any change in a stand alone education system, full of corruption and degradation, that will allow me to believe that the animate part of this process will be capable of responsibly manipulating the inanimate part of the process to a degree that promotes even a faint portion of the success suggested. This will require self-discipline and self-motivation with an eye towards benefit to others; a necessary convenience I generally do not experience here when I use, purchase, and expect quality from, their services and products.