Thailand Meets Estonia: Exploring Digital Government Perspectives and Advancing e-Government Models

On 22 November 2024, Mr. Paisan Rupanichkij, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, and Ms. Chavanart Thangsumphant, Ambassador of Thailand to Finland, led the Thai public/private delegation to Estonia to discuss with Mr. Tanel Sepp, Ambassador at Large for Cyber Diplomacy, and Ms. Nele Leosk, Ambassador at Large for Digital Affairs.

In the meeting, both sides discussed the role of the Foreign Ministry in promoting cybersecurity and digital diplomacy. They also exchanged views on strengthening cooperation on e-Government initiatives, which Thailand has been promoting since the enactment of the Cybersecurity Act B.E. 2562 (2019) and is ready to work with Estonia on preventing cyber attacks leveraging Estonia’s experience with the Locked Shields Exercise. The Deputy Permanent Secretary commended Estonia for the Tallinn Summer School of Cyber Diplomacy Training and wished to see more Thai diplomats joining.

The delegation also visited the e-Governance Academy, Estonia’s leading Think Tank responsible for developing a Citizen-Centric e-Government system and fostering trust in the public sector. Under this system, citizens are able to be informed when any government agency accesses their personal data. In addition, Estonia is able to utilise its digital advancements as a diplomatic tool in fostering international cooperation. The Acadamy took this opportunity to invite Thailand to participate in the e-Governance Conference 2025, “From Bytes to Benefits: Raising Prosperity Through Digital Transformation,” which will be held on 28-29 May 2025 in Tallinn.