Minister of Digital Economy and Society (MDES), and their dedicated team actively assessed mission progress and operational plans for 2024 across diverse dimensions at depa. Policies are assigned for driving the country's digital economy and society in 2024-2025, underlining a commitment to align with both government policies and ministry operations.
Minister of Digital Economy and Society, Mr. Prasert Jantararuangtong, accompanied by Mr. Nattapon Natsomboon, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the MInistry and their team, meticulously inspected progress and assign operational plans for 2024 at the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa). The visit featured the presence of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nuttapon Nimmanphatcharin, depa's Director, along with the executive team and staff, who warmly received them at the agency's headquarters in Lad Phrao.
Following that, Minister of Digital Economy and Society participated in listening to presentations on ultimate goals and operational plans for 2024 from representatives of the new generation of staff. Including policies on AI & Cloud operations, progress on the Global Digital Talent Visa initiative, the One Tambon One Digital project, guidelines for E-SPORTS project implementation, skills development to elevate human potential for the industry, as well as the 'Coding for Better Life' project aimed at laying the foundation for Thailand's future and Digital Service Account.
After comprehensive presentation, Minister of Digital Economy and Society has instructed depa to proceeds with the outlined plans while also emphasizes alignment with government policies and ministry initiatives, particularly those related to the digital content industry, including gaming, animation, and characters, as well as esports. This directive calls for connectivity with the national soft power strategy. Additionally, call for the continued development of One Tambon One Digital project, which has already commenced and received positive feedback, serving as a crucial mechanism to boost income, reduce expense, create expansive opportunities, and provide maximum benefits to farmers and communities. Regarding the Global Digital Talent Visa. Regarding the Global Digital Talent Visa, coordination with relevant agencies has been consolidated, and detailed presentations are underway for the Prime Minister's consideration at the next Cabinet meeting. Simultaneously, depa has been entrusted with collaborating with partner networks to propel the advancement of the country's digital workforce, particularly in the domains of coding, AI, and IoT.
Mr. Prasert expressed that the direction for promoting Thai digital startups must align with government policies to create robust and globally competitive digital startups. The emphasis on driving smart city development is directed towards secondary cities, prioritizing the characteristics of comprehensive 7 Smarts urban development, particularly focusing on Smart Environment aims to cultivate green spaces. In which, development of smart cities should be continuously pursuit for sustainability. For the operational plan in 2025, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society has tasked depa with stimulating the promotion of dSURE (Digital Sure) standard for digital products and services in the country to instill public confidence. Simultaneously, the implementation of Thai QR Plus, serving as a centralized platform for payment transactions in Thailand via QR codes, seeks to enhance convenience for international tourists.
"depa is a crucial government agency spearheading the country's digital economy. The trajectory suggests that Thailand's digital economy holds immense growth potential to grow substantially if the operations align with the laid-out plans. Among the operational plans unveiled today, certain projects have already commenced this year and are set to officially launch in 2024. All of these projects are considered beneficial and align seamlessly with the ministry's policies propelling the digital economy and society referred to as The Growth Engine of Thailand", as stated the Minister of Digital Economy and Society
Following this, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nuttapon led the tour on Co-working Space located on the third floor of the office. This space serves as a hub for promoting the digital startup network including the Thailand 5G Ecosystem Innovation Center (5G EIC), operates as a multifaceted hub for learning, development, facilitation, testing, and experimentation of 5G innovations tailored for applications and services within the country's industries. For instance, 5G Medical Care, 5G Smart Agriculture, 5G Remote Education, among others to create new opportunities for industrial businesses and propel the country towards becoming a central hub for digital innovation in the future, positioned at the forefront of Southeast Asia's digital landscape