Time for the government to start spending on research

[webfact]

Time for the government to start spending on research
Chularat Saengpassa
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- PRIME MINISTER Yingluck Shinawatra was nearly one hour late to deliver her opening speech at the Siam Cement Group's Thailand Innovation Forum.

Yet, executives of the company were patiently waiting for her. They understood that only the government’s full commitment to innovation can ensure that Thailand will able to make the leap forward in a world that seeks added value on everything.

At the event, which drew 800 participants both local and foreign, Yingluck highlighted Thailand's goal of becoming a centre for food, automobile production, green energy and tourism.

She told the audience of the government's plan to realign the research sector around seven government units under a number of ministries including Education, Agriculture, and Science and Technology. She hoped that this would reduce redundancy and facilitate future budget allocation. She envisaged a research contest, to encourage researchers to pump out more ideas that could be commercialised and create value to the economy.

She also promised to allocate more funds to universities, particularly provincial ones, so they could come up with research that could enhance the value of locally sourced materials. She said she was ready to help them with human resources and equipment, ready to "do something to promote companies and small businesses".

Thailand is notorious for its low number of researchers and engineers as well as the ratio of public-private spending on R&D. While the number of researchers and engineers as a proportion of the population is well below 10:10,000, spending on R&D has been only 0.2 per cent of GDP since 1960.

Professor Yongyuth Yuthavong, a senior researcher at the National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (Biotec), blames the meagre research budget for Thailand's weak scientific and technological development. He said the R&D budget-to-GDP ratio of Thailand ranked among the lowest in the world. Developed countries each have dedicated a budget amounting to a few per cent of their GDP to R&D. As a result, most developed countries has about 5,000 researchers per one million people. The ratio in Thailand, meanwhile, is 600 per one million.

"The prime minister has often reiterated that the government will devote an amount of money equivalent to 1 per cent of the country's GDP to R&D. But I haven't seen any tangible result," he said.

He said he had not seen any sign of change coming, even though the country's 11th Social and Economic Development Plan aimed to raise the number of researchers significantly by achieving the ratio of 1,500 researchers to one million people by 2015.

"The plan has also suggested that the R&D budget should reach 1 per cent of the country's GDP," he said.

However, the 2014 Fiscal Budget Plan revealed that the government planned to allocate just Bt21.32 billion to R&D. This amount, if approved, will mean the country's R&D budget would hover around 0.8 per cent of the country's GDP next year.

Khunying Kalaya Soponpanich, a Democrat Party member, raised the issue about the meagre R&D budget during a recent parliamentary session. She said the government must not ignore the needs of R&D and should stop thinking that researchers do not seem to deliver anything.

"Researchers take quite some time to serve up clear results," she said.

On the R&D, Yongyuth lamented that Thailand still had a long way to go when compared with other countries.

"This means we seriously need clear policies, firm commitment and the right mindset now," he said.

Yongyuth, who is also a former science minister, wondered why the government did not mention how the R&D would apply or could contribute to the implementation of its Bt350-billion water-management modules and the Bt2-trillion transport-system projects.

Will the government listen to his opinions?

Well, Yingluck should know that it's better late than never.


-- The Nation 2013-08-20

[clockman]

Politics, all talk no action.!

[MaxLee]

Same old crap, same old white lies, how DARE you make the ruling power elite of Red Thailand lose face by conducting SUCH DIRTY WORK AS RESEARCH

For the PM being late Just another normal shopping trip before smiley smiley smiley thank you for a few photographs and say "have a nice day, bye bye..."

[Thai at Heart]

food, automobile production, green energy and tourism.

Aren't they already in that position in the region. Anything new? I think they would do better to find the next new thing.

Or since research needs talented people and time, obviously better to focus on low value industries with low wage rates????

[boomerangutang]

I've been saying this for years, and have had several letters published in major Thai newspapers on this issue. However, it is 98% hot air, because there won't be follow up. There needs to be a sea change in attitudes and perspectives, for there to be any improvements. In the meantime, Thailand will be at the vanguard of copying and following behind the initiatives of others.

[ETatBKK]

I was shocked by this LESS-THAN 0.2% R&D-GDP figure in a government event last year. meaning, a 100 million baht project, only less than 200,000 ( 200k ) spent on R&D. ( I guess there are more spending Johnny W in the project )

well, Thai scholars corrected me that this so-call <0.2% R&D, in fact most % are spent on REALISATION development, but NOT research. there is a fundamental mis-understanding on this buzzword 'R&D' in Thai operation.

while Thailand saturated her R&D <0.2% over last 50 years, what motivate and what enable the change ? last year, government targets 2% R&D-GDP by 2015 ? ? ? ( btw, Korean is about 2.6% )

[jaltsc]

Perhaps they can research the purpose of time and how to properly use instruments that measure it. Then some of the people whose responsibility is to serve the people can show up on time to perform their jobs

[Thai at Heart]

I was shocked by this LESS-THAN 0.2% R&D-GDP figure in a government event last year. meaning, a 100 million baht project, only less than 200,000 ( 200k ) spent on R&D. ( I guess there are more spending Johnny W in the project )

well, Thai scholars corrected me that this so-call <0.2% R&D, in fact most % are spent on REALISATION development, but NOT research. there is a fundamental mis-understanding on this buzzword 'R&D' in Thai operation.

while Thailand saturated her R&D <0.2% over last 50 years, what motivate and what enable the change ? last year, government targets 2% R&D-GDP by 2015 ? ? ? ( btw, Korean is about 2.6% )

Thai governments have been influenced by Thai Chinese exporters for many years hence the focus on small hold agriculture. They have pursued this at all costs.

Then the Japanese came along and proposed a car industry, so they got into this. So where are the Thai innovators for industry?

Nowhere. The foundation of industry is not Thai. It is foreign and imported, so whilst Korea for example built its own high value international businesses, Thailand was being run by people looking at it from an exploitative point of view as opposed to value building our w wealth creation. The cheap labour has dried up, and maybe, these dominant industries will just spread out around instead of investing in Thailand.

It's really quite tragic that governments have failed for generations to raise the education level here. I can't see which industries Thailand will attract next.

Suki yaki hub?

[MaxLee]

I was shocked by this LESS-THAN 0.2% R&D-GDP figure in a government event last year. meaning, a 100 million baht project, only less than 200,000 ( 200k ) spent on R&D. ( I guess there are more spending Johnny W in the project )

well, Thai scholars corrected me that this so-call <0.2% R&D, in fact most % are spent on REALISATION development, but NOT research. there is a fundamental mis-understanding on this buzzword 'R&D' in Thai operation.

while Thailand saturated her R&D <0.2% over last 50 years, what motivate and what enable the change ? last year, government targets 2% R&D-GDP by 2015 ? ? ? ( btw, Korean is about 2.6% )

Thai governments have been influenced by Thai Chinese exporters for many years hence the focus on small hold agriculture. They have pursued this at all costs.

Then the Japanese came along and proposed a car industry, so they got into this. So where are the Thai innovators for industry?

Nowhere. The foundation of industry is not Thai. It is foreign and imported, so whilst Korea for example built its own high value international businesses, Thailand was being run by people looking at it from an exploitative point of view as opposed to value building our w wealth creation. The cheap labour has dried up, and maybe, these dominant industries will just spread out around instead of investing in Thailand.

It's really quite tragic that governments have failed for generations to raise the education level here. I can't see which industries Thailand will attract next.

Suki yaki hub?

Corruption was brought from those Chinese-Thai tribes,

industrialization from Japan's side,... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanchanaburi_Province

.... "For foreigners however, it is only Kanchanaburi’s recent history which really stands out with the name ‘The Death Railway’. During the Japanese occupation of Thailand in 1942 POWs both allies and Asian labourers were ordered by the Japanese to build a Thailand-Burma railway. Eventually, an unprecedented more than 100,000 POWs (16,000 allies and 90,000 local Asian labourers) died from horrific working conditions."....

Both tribes have their own motives in order to receive the profits,... simple as that. With cheap labor millions of Thais, BUT ALSO Camobodian, Laotion and Myanmar migrant workers are controlled and punished by unlawful henchmen of those companies, while the big bosses fill their bellies...

just as example

[SOTIRIOS]

......what money.........has anyone checked lately.......???

[hellodolly]

I was shocked by this LESS-THAN 0.2% R&D-GDP figure in a government event last year. meaning, a 100 million baht project, only less than 200,000 ( 200k ) spent on R&D. ( I guess there are more spending Johnny W in the project )

well, Thai scholars corrected me that this so-call <0.2% R&D, in fact most % are spent on REALISATION development, but NOT research. there is a fundamental mis-understanding on this buzzword 'R&D' in Thai operation.

while Thailand saturated her R&D <0.2% over last 50 years, what motivate and what enable the change ? last year, government targets 2% R&D-GDP by 2015 ? ? ? ( btw, Korean is about 2.6% )

Thai governments have been influenced by Thai Chinese exporters for many years hence the focus on small hold agriculture. They have pursued this at all costs.

Then the Japanese came along and proposed a car industry, so they got into this. So where are the Thai innovators for industry?

Nowhere. The foundation of industry is not Thai. It is foreign and imported, so whilst Korea for example built its own high value international businesses, Thailand was being run by people looking at it from an exploitative point of view as opposed to value building our w wealth creation. The cheap labour has dried up, and maybe, these dominant industries will just spread out around instead of investing in Thailand.

It's really quite tragic that governments have failed for generations to raise the education level here. I can't see which industries Thailand will attract next.

Suki yaki hub?

Corruption was brought from those Chinese-Thai tribes,

industrialization from Japan's side,... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanchanaburi_Province

.... "For foreigners however, it is only Kanchanaburi’s recent history which really stands out with the name ‘The Death Railway’. During the Japanese occupation of Thailand in 1942 POWs both allies and Asian labourers were ordered by the Japanese to build a Thailand-Burma railway. Eventually, an unprecedented more than 100,000 POWs (16,000 allies and 90,000 local Asian labourers) died from horrific working conditions."....

Both tribes have their own motives in order to receive the profits,... simple as that. With cheap labor millions of Thais, BUT ALSO Camobodian, Laotion and Myanmar migrant workers are controlled and punished by unlawful henchmen of those companies, while the big bosses fill their bellies...

just as example

Actually it was a good example. The Japanese filled their belly while the Koreans over saw the building of this railway. It was only after they finished that the Japanese moved in and took over.

[hellodolly]

Yingluck said

"She envisaged a research contest, to encourage researchers to pump out more ideas that could be commercialised and create value to the economy."

Why has the rest of the world stopped producing products through their own research and development for Thailand to copy?

[expat888]

Even if this wasn't fake, Yingluck couldn't have thought of this herself. Too complicated.

[trainman34014]

The only things she is interested in researching is the latest fashions in boots and handbags. Somebody please tell me if she knows what the word 'innovation' actually means ?

[soomak]

If anyone wants to see an international comparison, here it is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_research_and_development_spending

Thailand is ranked 60 out of 72, in terms of % of GDP spent on R&d (use the little arrow to sort the list)