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Thailand’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DE) has announced a plan for 2024, designed to propel the nation’s digital transformation and elevate its competitive edge on the international platform. Spearheaded by Mr Prasert Chandraruangthong, the Minister of DE, a comprehensive strategy targets seven pivotal domains. These include fostering innovation, enhancing public services, and stimulating economic expansion through the strategic implementation of digital technologies.
One of the key initiatives is the Cloud First Policy, which envisions positioning Thailand as the premier Cloud Hub of the region. The policy advocates for the widespread adoption of cloud systems to revamp digital infrastructure, elevate the quality of government services, and facilitate the utilisation of Big Data. This strategic move is anticipated to significantly enhance the efficiency of public services while concurrently generating substantial cost savings, potentially slashing the country’s computing infrastructure expenses by as much as 50%.
Another major focus area is the AI Agenda, which aims to develop Thailand’s AI infrastructure. This includes the development of the National AI Service Platform and the Thai Large Language Model (Thai LLM). These initiatives will not only enhance the country’s AI capabilities but also promote ethics, governance, and regulation in AI.
The development of the Thai Large Language Model (Thai LLM) is a significant step towards enhancing Thailand’s natural language processing capabilities. Large language models, like the Thai LLM, can process and generate human language, enabling a wide range of applications such as machine translation, text summarisation, and chatbots in the Thai language.
This can benefit various sectors, including education, healthcare, and customer service, by enabling more efficient and effective communication and information processing. Additionally, efforts will be made to upskill and reskill personnel in AI and promote the use of AI in both the public and private sectors.
The 1 District 1 IT Man initiative aims to accelerate digital adoption in regional areas by establishing IT centres in 878 districts and 2,222 community digital centres. This initiative will provide public internet access in 24,654 villages, improving the quality of life and connecting digital data at the district level. This initiative will not only improve access to digital services but also promote the use of digital technology in everyday life.
Another key focus area is the development of digital workforce and manpower. The government aims to develop infrastructure for digital workforce and manpower development, attract global digital talent through the Global Digital Talent Visa, and increase the digital workforce by 50,000 people. This initiative will not only help meet the growing demand for digital skills but also promote the use of digital technology in the workforce.
The Cell Broadcast initiative aims to implement a modern warning system nationwide to send specific warning messages to designated areas. This initiative will help reduce the loss of life and property during emergencies, demonstrating the potential of digital technology to save lives and improve safety.
The ministry also aims to address online threats through initiatives such as upgrading the AOC 1441 Centre to use AI for detecting and preventing online dangers, launching the Call Alert app to notify at-risk telephone numbers, and establishing the PDPC Eagle Eye Centre to prevent personal data leaks and address online shopping issues. These initiatives will not only improve cybersecurity but also promote trust in digital technology.
Thailand’s comprehensive plan for 2024 demonstrates the government’s commitment to accelerating digital transformation and enhancing its competitiveness in the global digital economy. By focusing on key areas such as cloud technology, AI, digital workforce and manpower, and cybersecurity, Thailand aims to unlock new opportunities for economic growth and improve the quality of life for its citizens through digital technology.
Thailand is laying the foundation for a more competitive digital economy. This could lead to significant improvements in efficiency, innovation, and overall quality of life for its citizens in the future.