Strategy expected to lead to a transformed country that maximises use of digital tech in all socio-economic activities
The Information and Communications Technology Ministry has come up with a four-phase digital landscape covering the next 20 years with a view to developing the country into a fully digital Thailand, in line with the government's overall Thailand 4.0 goal.
Deputy Prime Minister Prajin Juntong said the government would continue to drive the digital-Thailand objective forward, so that it was capable of boosting the Thailand 4.0 national-development goal.
The four key focus areas in this regard are: human resources; research and development; agricultural and manufacturing development by utilising information technology and innovation to improve competitiveness; and a 'smart' social environment to help to leverage the country as a whole.
Pansak Siriruchatapong, vice minister at the ICT Ministry, said that achieving a truly digital Thailand meant having a transformed nation that maximised the use of digital technologies in all socio-economic activities in order to develop infrastructure, innovation, data, human capital and other digital resources that will ultimately drive the country towards wealth, stability and sustainability.
The ministry has therefore developed a 20-year Thailand digital landscape that comes with four phases: digital foundation; digital Thailand I: inclusion; digital Thailand II: full transformation; and global digital leadership.
He said that under the first phase - digital foundation - the ministry would invest in and build the necessary foundations over a roughly 18-month period.
As a result, governmental functions and data will be integrated across organisations and the workforce in all sectors will be equipped with digital skills that are recognised both at home and abroad.
Meanwhile, a conductive environment will be created through digital laws and organisational reforms.
Moreover, broadband infrastructure will be rolled out to all villages, serving as a foundation of all economic and social activities and enabling small and medium-sized enterprises and individuals in communities to provide their local products online - with everyone able to access broadband
Internet and public services inclusively and equally, the vice minister said.
The government will also provide free Wi-Fi at 10,000 locations, including schools, border patrol police stations and digital community centres all over the country, he added.
The government is also aiming to enable at least 1,500 SMEs to trade through online community stores via digital community centres.
For the second phase - digital Thailand I: inclusion - the ministry will over five years provide the required IT and innovation to ensure that all people can reap the benefits of digital technology, Pansak said.
Governmental functions will be fully integrated, resulting in 'one government', while human capital will be able to undertake cross-border work and be fully enabled through digital technology, with the Kingdom starting to become a digital workforce hub.
Meanwhile, online transactions will be encouraged through facilitating measures and standards, besides which the agriculture, manufacturing and service sectors will embrace the use of digital technology and data.
Lastly under this phase, digital start-ups will start growing, trust as well as confidence in technology will be built, and people will be able to digitally access education, health and data services, he explained.
In the third phase - digital Thailand II: full transformation - the ministry will over a 10-year period lead the drive for the country's full adoption of digital technology and innovation.
The government will be able to provide citizen-centric services, open up its data and allow public participation.
As a result, high-value jobs will be created and the country will have sufficient digital specialists, while legal and regulatory barriers to trade and online transactions will be removed, broadband will reach all homes, meeting the demands of convergence and new networked devices, he said.
Moreover, the agriculture, manufacturing and service sectors will be able to compete more effectively due to innovation and go global, and people will be able to make full use of digital technology and data in all their daily activities.
The fourth and final phase, which will cover 10-20 years, covers the goal of global digital leadership, with the country aiming to become a developed country that provides digital-technology products and services to the worldwide market.
Part of the goal is to achieve full digital government, maximising technology for both back-end and front-end operations, Pansak said.
The country will become a regional leader in Internet connectivity both domestically and internationally, and a trade and investment hub with outstanding digital products and services, he added.
Six strategies
Six strategies will be followed in achieving the overall four-phase digital-Thailand goal, the vice minister said.
The first is to build a country-wide, high-capacity digital infrastructure in order to ensure accessibility, availability and affordability.
The second is boost the economy with digital technology so that it can drive the new S-curve to raise the country's competitiveness, build new business and create economic value.
The government will also provide economic opportunities for farmers and community enterprises.
Third is the creation of a knowledge-driven digital society, in order to build participation to ensure inclusive and equal usage.
The government will also develop digital literacy media and information literacy.
The fourth strategy is the transformation into digital government, which will create open government and facilitate the people and business sectors to integrate into 'one government'.
The government will also migrate to the provision of citizen-centric smart services to the public.
The fifth strategy is to develop the workforce for the digital era, with the government aiming to improve digital skills in all sectors and develop digital specialists, Pansak said.
The final strategy is to build trust and confidence in the use of digital technology by updating laws and regulations to encourage investment, and by ensuring security, he explained.
The government, moreover, will build trust and confidence among the public in using online transactions.
Pansak said the ICT Ministry had also joined hands with the Association of Thai ICT Industry and other partners in arranging the recent "e-Government Forum 2016", held under the concept "The Challenges of Government Innovation: Disruptive Government".
The aim was to discuss the integration of government services among public agencies, with a view to improving the provision of e-government services as part of the drive towards achieving a truly digital Thailand, he added.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Jirapan Boonnoon
Quelle/Source: The Nation, 18.08.2016
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