Ministry focuses on its goal to turn Thailand into an ICT hub

[webfact]

Ministry focuses on its goal to turn Thailand into an ICT hub
Jirapan Boonnoon
The Nation

It has drawn up blueprints to give each citizen their own IP address and meet global standards

BANGKOK: -- The Information and Communications Ministry has formulated plans aimed at developing Thailand into a regional ICT hub and providing all Thais with their own personal Internet Protocol (IP) address.

Permanent secretary Surachai Srisaracam said the ministry was focused on three blueprints: for setting up an ICT global standard, propelling the country forward in the ICT global community, and fulfilling the Smart Thailand project.

For the ICT global standard, the ministry will utilise and implement Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) in order to provide a personal ID and create a personal IP for all citizens.

It will extend the current 13-character personal ID into 14 characters for IP purposes, as a result of which all citizens will have their own personal IP - the first country in the world to do so this, he said.

IPv6 is the latest version of IP, the communications protocol that provides an identification and location system for computers on networks and routes that carry traffic across the Internet. Every device on the Internet must be assigned an IP address in order to communicate with other devices.

The ministry will set up its own standard to support the international standard. It also plans to set up IP addresses for all government agencies, so that it is easier to communicate between agencies and provide services to citizens across the nation.

"The personal IP address will allow the government to provide more services to people, such as information on personal rights and alerts, via their IP addresses. This will a create win-win situation between government and all members of the public," said Surachai.

In regard to the ICT global community, the ministry will drive forward from the smart-province level to a homogenous smart country that meets the international standard.

Utilisation of smart-country technology will enhance the position of provinces and the Kingdom as a whole in the international market and create increased business opportunities at home and abroad.

Moreover, he said, it would propel the country further into the ICT global community, such as in the upcoming Asean Economic Community, in areas such as National Electronic Registration Systems (NERS) and security technology.

Smart Thailand

Lastly, the ministry's Smart Thailand goal will be driven by five components: communication, information, services, education and economics ­- collectively known as CISEE.

For communication, the ministry will collaborate with the private sector to establish an integrated single network in order to reduce the complexity of communication among the government, state enterprise and private sectors.

This will involve a fibre-optic network and tower network in order to consolidate national resources and reduce investment in both the public and private sectors.

The government network will also provide back-office services for all government agencies, free Wi-Fi for schools, and free Wi-Fi at government offices.

"We have a goal to provide and communicate with all people via a government network covering all citizens nationwide," said Surachai.

The ICT Ministry will, moreover, support the private sector to develop local-brand smart phones and tablets in terms of co-investment. This will promote the ICT industry and create an Asean brand, reducing imports and expanding the opportunity for local brands in the international market - and leading to the establishment of Thailand as a regional ICT hub.

In regard to information, the ministry will integrate four national information databases into a single government data centre. The databases are the Nation Global Information System (GIS), the National Management Information System (MIS), the NERS, and the Knowledge Management (KM) database.

The government will also provide two-way communications and social networking for all citizens, in order to provide and improve government services as a whole.

As to services, the ministry will distribute government services from the centre to the community level and develop more e-services, so that they can be provided to everyone via mobile devices and kiosks.

On the education front, the agency will develop tools such as e-learning or cyber-education centres to support students and others, in order to meet demand for a modern-day workforce, said the official.

Lastly, in regard to economics, the ministry will utilise information technology to support business, such as e-commerce to support Otop (One Tambon One Product) operators, logistics and department stores for the community, so that inclusive growth can be achieved.

"We have a goal to utilise IT to increase productivity and provide service satisfaction to all people, as well as reduce operating and management costs for business," said Surachai.


-- The Nation 2013-11-07

[clockman]

A lot of talk,again. An empty bucket makes the most noise!

[BuddhistVirus]

Hub...hub, everywhere

Edited November 7, 2013 by BuddhistVirus

[casindonet]

How is thailand going to be an ICT hub when thousands of web pages are block by the government?

Sent from my GT-I9200 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[lostmebike]

I can feel a lot of hub-ble and trouble around the corner.

[kotsak]

I prefer NOT to have my own IP..

[chiyiuwing]

How is thailand going to be an ICT hub when I go to TOT today try to upgrade my internet from 10Mb to 13Mb download/ 1Mb upload and was told that the only 10Mb connection is available in Pattaya. My internet was degraded to 1.xMb download and 1xxKb upload recently and called to TOT call center 3 days ago but still not yet fixed..................

[Maybole]

In another report today, Thailand is near the bottom of the list in proficiency in English language. I thought that expertise in ICT needs expertise in English

Edited November 7, 2013 by Maybole

[Costas2008]

So, big brother will be watching you at all times.

This is the best way to know what you are reading witch sites you are visiting.

I will not be surprised when I hear about the police knocking at peoples doors and arresting people on national security grounds.

[JoeThePoster]

It's certainly a hub of pirated software.

[recycler]

Hub of bullshit with the worst English speakers and a censored Internet....

Hub of internet gaming would be more realistic with all the kids gathering in these internet game shops after school instead of doing homework!

[atsiii]

So, big brother will be watching you at all times.

This is the best way to know what you are reading witch sites you are visiting.

I will not be surprised when I hear about the police knocking at peoples doors and arresting people on national security grounds.

This was my first thought, too! Sure, give every Thai a personal unique IP address so they and everything they do online can be tracked and traced back to them! Hackers (both in and out of government service) will be able to blackmail innocents by using their personal IP address to degrade the royal family, or to link to forbidden books, etc. And then how will tourists get online? Will they have to present their passport to get a temporary 90-day IP address?

An Orwellian program, for sure!

[spacemand]

Another way to spy on people.

What if someone have a computer at home and a smartphone accessing the internet via different providers will they get 2 different IPs? What about their work computer/phone?

[Carrerakiss]

I live four kms outside Udon Thani and I can't even get an Internet connection at my house! What use is an IP address to all the villagers not in an urban conurbation? A 3G SIM card will only get you so far.

Better that the basics were put in place first, before spouting off about far fetched plans. But that would mean admitting that the basics aren't yet in place wouldn't it?

[recycler]

I live four kms outside Udon Thani and I can't even get an Internet connection at my house! What use is an IP address to all the villagers not in an urban conurbation? A 3G SIM card will only get you so far.

Better that the basics were put in place first, before spouting off about far fetched plans. But that would mean admitting that the basics aren't yet in place wouldn't it?

For internet access Thailand is not to bad compared to many other countries. In particular the US, a bit outside the populated area's you're lucky if you can get ADSL, many are still on dail-in or also mobile. At about twice the cost of a connection here in Thailand. I'm in a small village in Rayong and have a fiber connection, not to many countries where you can get that yet. On this aspect I must say that Thailand developed very fast as 9 years ago the first ADSL connections where installed outside of Bangkok.

[Showbags]

Have any of the other hubs worked out yet?

[Carrerakiss]

I live four kms outside Udon Thani and I can't even get an Internet connection at my house! What use is an IP address to all the villagers not in an urban conurbation? A 3G SIM card will only get you so far.

Better that the basics were put in place first, before spouting off about far fetched plans. But that would mean admitting that the basics aren't yet in place wouldn't it?

For internet access Thailand is not to bad compared to many other countries. In particular the US, a bit outside the populated area's you're lucky if you can get ADSL, many are still on dail-in or also mobile. At about twice the cost of a connection here in Thailand. I'm in a small village in Rayong and have a fiber connection, not to many countries where you can get that yet. On this aspect I must say that Thailand developed very fast as 9 years ago the first ADSL connections where installed outside of Bangkok.

Well recycler, I guess what you are saying is that Thailand ADSL connectability is fine, if you have it. Rayong is not that far from Bangkok and for you, Thailand has what you want. But the minister was talking nationwide, not just heavily populated provinces with a lot of commercial activity.

So spare a thought for those of us in the so called impoverished North East, adsl is as far away as cable tv.

LCan't speak for USA, but Singapore knocks spots off Thailand and is more of a direct competitor, ASEAN and all that. There again, pick a subject and Singapore cleans up.......except affordability.

[eddie61]

I can never resist another hub story

[Showbags]

I can never resist another hub story

We all click on them, in the morbid hope that just one time...just one time....they might have a chance....but alas disappointment reins.

[kurnell]

These <deleted> might as well talk to the wall cos no one is listening.

[simple1]

A number of Asian countries have already embarked on transitioning to IPv6. So what are the projects timeline, funding allocation & who's overseeing the bidding for the implementation contracts?

[Arkady]

How is this going to turn Thailand into an IT hub. Sounds more like a plan to suppress freedom of expression. IT hubs need to be able to talk English over the phone to foreign clients and Thailand's English is ranked only better than Kazakhastan in Asia.

[bangon04]

These <deleted> might as well talk to the wall cos no one is listening.

I am sure there are countries in the world which look up to Thailand as a role model of efficiency and progress....

South Sudan? Rwanda? Haiti?

[Trouble]

I prefer NOT to have my own IP..

I'm with you on that one. It's bad enough the NSA can track almost anything. At least it takes a court order in the USA for police to invade your privacy. Individual IP's would allow the Thailand government to check on what everyone is doing on the internet. Talk about inhibiting free exchange of thought, this would be a disaster. However that maybe our future everywhere. Big Brother you know.

[marell]

The ministry might begin by learning how to spell ICT.

[MILT]

Thai's have a very hard challenge when working out the details.

Almost on every level they create a grand scheme only to drop

the bucket of nails in the details.From Government to building a house to opening a

food trolly. Oh well got to love it!

[AyG]

Frankly I'm impressed that the Ministry even knows that IPv6 is, given that the current level of adoption here is 0.15%. (Source: http://www.google.com/ipv6/statistics.html#tab=per-country-ipv6-adoption)

I recall reading a few months ago that in the whole of Thailand there are only 6 IPv6-enabled servers - and most, if not all, of them were university-run research projects. Sorry, can't find the source.

[JeffreyWitty]

BWAHAHAH! Everyone with their own static IP address!!!! BWAHAHAHAH!

Um, from those who *KNOW* computers - this is insane and "no".

It will never happen. Even with IPv6. Nothing to fear here, move along everyone.

Side note - you think identity theft is rampant now? Do you know how EASY it is to spoof (or assign) your IP to anything other than what was determined to be yours? Not to mention VPNs.

Edited November 8, 2013 by JeffreyWitty

[Thaddeus]

Side note - you think identity theft is rampant now? Do you know how EASY it is to spoof (or assign) your IP to anything other than what was determined to be yours? Not to mention VPNs.

You know, I know, I would suspect that quite a few people know.

I bet Somchai from Nahkom Nowhere doesn't.

The prime reason for suggesting this is to spy on people, it has absolutely nothing to do with being a hub.

And what is the main reason for spying on others, fear.

[kotsak]

First they need to build thousands of prisons since half the population would end being locked up there.. :>

So first they need to make Thailand a prison hub before becoming an IT hub..