Digital economy minister urged to support SMEs and combat online scams in Thailand
The newly appointed Digital Economy and Society (DES) Minister is being urged by industry leaders to combat online scams, bolster cross-border e-commerce for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and provide additional incentives to businesses for technological investments. The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) is also looking to collaborate with the minister, Prasert Chanthararuangthong, on various initiatives to bridge the country’s digital divide.
Kulthirath Pakawachkrilers, president of the Thai e-Commerce Association, predicts a compound annual growth rate of 75% for Thai B2C (business-to-consumer) and C2C (consumer-to-consumer) commerce from 2022 to 2025. She has called upon the new government to streamline e-commerce policies across different agencies, promote cross-border transactions for local companies, and establish a Thai fulfilment centre for SMEs in China.
Supak Lailert, president of the Association of Thai ICT Industry, has suggested the swift disbursement of the fiscal 2024 budget and the introduction of measures and tax incentives to promote entrepreneurial investment in technology. Siriwat Vongjarukorn, chief executive of systems integrator MFEC, has stressed the need for national action to curb call centre and online scams, which negatively impact many individuals’ lives and the digital economy.
The Pheu Thai Party’s policy includes a 10,000-baht digital handout to be delivered via smartphone to every Thai aged 16 and over. The digital wallet, expected to launch early next year, has been advised against by Siriwat, who cites PromptPay’s superior transaction capabilities as a preferable alternative to blockchain technology.
The Digital Council of Thailand (DCT) has proposed the establishment of a National Board of Digital Transformation to gear the country towards the Thailand 5.0 era. The DCT has outlined five policies to achieve this aim, including deep collaboration between public and private sectors, the development of advanced digital skills among the population, the creation of a digital economy, and the promotion of Thailand as the centre of innovation in ASEAN by 2025.
The NBTC and DES Ministry are set to collaborate on several tasks, including the management of the Thaicom 4 and 6 satellites, the roll-out of additional free public WiFi spots nationwide, and the provision of tablets to schools. These initiatives are integral to the efforts to bridge Thailand’s digital divide and pave the way for the Thailand 5.0 era, reported Bangkok Post.
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