Within the next five years, more than 80 per cent of government offices will use e-documents for identification in the country.
The government will also set up a Big Data, Data Centre, and Analytics Centre to support the Thailand 4.0 vision.
Sak Segkhoonthod, president of the Electronic Government Agency (EGA), said that the five-year Digital Government project started in 2016 and ends in 2021.
The value of Thailand’s digital economy has swelled by 20 per cent this year to Bt2.5 trillion, accounting for 17 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), with even faster growth pencilled in for next year by a leading forecaster.
The Centre for Economic and Business Forecasting of University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) expects the information technology-related economy will expand 25 per cent next year to Bt3.2 trillion next year, making up 19 per cent of GDP. The centre’s projection is based on an assumed national economic growth of more than four per cent.
The Digital Economy and Society Ministry aims to build up a nationwide force of 1,000 digital literacy trainers within six months.
Ajarin Pattanapanchai, the new permanent secretary at the ministry, said the trainers would be destined for 24,700 communities or villages by April next year. They would teach people the basics of digital literacy, imparting know-how that can be put to use in local communities, she said.
Read more: TH: 1,000 digital literacy trainers to bridge gap
Instead of waiting for the people to request the government procurement information, the initiative optimises and integrates reliable data from government agencies, performs data analytics and presents it in easy-to-understand formats including dashboards, maps and infographics via a single digital channel.
As Thai citizens are obliged to pay direct and indirect taxes to the Thai government, we always ask ourselves, “How does the government spend my taxes for my or the country’s benefits”? or in short “Where do our taxes go”?
At a recent Asean and China mayoral conference held in Nanning, Guangxi province, one of us (LHM) presented the concept of smart cities and its importance for Asean.
It generated much interest from the audience, among which was former Thai deputy prime minister Korn Dabbaransi. Korn noted the significance of smart-city thinking for Thailand’s burgeoning urban areas, such as Chiang Mai.
Read more: Thailand can be smart-city flagship for Belt and Road