Adapting Thailand 4.0 to an uncertain world

[webfact]

Adapting Thailand 4.0 to an uncertain world
By George Abonyi
Special to The Nation

 

For successful shift to hi-tech economy, Thai innovation must be geared to consumer demand  

 

BANGKOK: -- Thailand 4.0 is a comprehensive and ambitious long-term strategy for improving the economy’s competitive performance through innovation-driven growth. It aims at developing advanced technology and skills to produce high-value products and services for international markets. This strategy faces two important challenges. 

 

First, Thailand has lagged on traditional measures of innovation, such as investment in research and development. Past efforts to stimulate innovation have had limited success. Implementing Thailand 4.0 is thus likely to be demanding, requiring significant resources, long lead times and collective effort. 

 

Second, it will be implemented in an uncertain, slow-growth global economic environment, particularly in the developed economies of the US and EU – traditional final markets for Thailand’s manufactured exports. 

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/opinion/30307648

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-03-02

[Somtamnication]

4.0 of anything is buggy. Wait for 4.3 or higher. 

[yellowboat]

Innovation will not flourish while xenophobia and draconian laws are in place.  Thailand lags far behind China.  Until that changes, it will go nowhere.  In this case, the government needs to get out of the way.  Its help is hindering progress. 

[Jimbo2014]

1 hour ago, yellowboat said:

Innovation will not flourish while xenophobia and draconian laws are in place.  Thailand lags far behind China.  Until that changes, it will go nowhere.  In this case, the government needs to get out of the way.  Its help is hindering progress. 

I agree with your point - but the contrast to China when discussing Xenophobia and Draconian laws may not be the ideal comparison :)

[klauskunkel]

Quote

This strategy faces two important challenges. 

Actually, there is a third and more fundamental challenge:

2.0 and 3.0 are missing from the development chain. 

Good luck

[yellowboat]

31 minutes ago, Jimbo2014 said:

I agree with your point - but the contrast to China when discussing Xenophobia and Draconian laws may not be the ideal comparison :)

Well, actually no.  Lived in both places for long periods of time.  Find Thailand's government hostile towards foreign business, where China is not.  If your are Canadian or a US citizen, you are able to get a 60 day visa good up to ten years.  The cost is  under $400.  The closest thing in Thailand is an elite card for way too much.  There are drawbacks in China, but Thailand is outright hostile towards foreign business people, especially at this time.  You can also have 100% foreign ownership in China, Thailand, no.   China is starting to innovate.  They own consumer drone market.  That took innovation and help from foreign staff.  Just cannot see that happening in Thailand, but it could, but it won't.

[rkidlad]

I met a local girl who told me she thinks the economy is becoming very bad here. I agreed, and then she said she thought it was because of foreigners. She said there are too many foreigners downtown with too many foreign businesses. 

 

I kindly reminded her that 'foreigners' don't make the rules here. Thais do. A very small percentage of Thais make the rules. A poor economy will be because of very poorly made decisions made by Thais. I also reminded her that Buddhism is about looking 'inward' and not outward. 

 

Unfortunately, it's the same the world over. When the economy sucks because of poor management and greed, it gets blamed on 'foreigners'. 

[Krataiboy]

This story appeared beneath one which reveals that a third of Thai 15-year-olds are functionally illiterate. 

Until this situation is rectified, the gigantic pie that is Thailand 4.0 will remain firmly stuck in the sky. 

Edited March 2, 2017 by Krataiboy
error

[Brer Fox]

6 hours ago, yellowboat said:

Innovation will not flourish while xenophobia and draconian laws are in place.  Thailand lags far behind China.  Until that changes, it will go nowhere.  In this case, the government needs to get out of the way.  Its help is hindering progress. 

The risk in Thailand is that the success of a particular innovation will quite likely be stolen by those with "connections" to authority.

The doctrine on innovation in Thailand seems to be:

Wait for someone to invest and work on innovating something and see whether it works or fails. if it fails, their bad luck. If it succeeds then take it from them by fair means or foul.

 

 

[Jimbo2014]

23 hours ago, yellowboat said:

Well, actually no.  Lived in both places for long periods of time.  Find Thailand's government hostile towards foreign business, where China is not.  If your are Canadian or a US citizen, you are able to get a 60 day visa good up to ten years.  The cost is  under $400.  The closest thing in Thailand is an elite card for way too much.  There are drawbacks in China, but Thailand is outright hostile towards foreign business people, especially at this time.  You can also have 100% foreign ownership in China, Thailand, no.   China is starting to innovate.  They own consumer drone market.  That took innovation and help from foreign staff.  Just cannot see that happening in Thailand, but it could, but it won't.

Good points. :)