Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa) gracefully revealed her 2018 performance that strongly encouraged Thailand’s digital transformation in line with the government’s Digital Economy Master Plan (2018 – 2021). To develop the country’s digital economy, digital manpower and digital infrastructure, 8 promotional measures for digital development including depa funds and mini-transformation voucher for 4 types of public/ private sectors have been offered.

The agency also accomplished the mission assigned by the government and the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DE) in a constant promotion of digital technology and innovations throughout 2018. depa expected that her promotional schemes would generate over Bt1,096.62 million into the country’s digital economy. Digital awareness has also been raised in both industrial and social sectors, domestically and internationally, thanks to over 50 memorandums of understanding signed between depa and her alliances. Setting off with a good start, depa is more than ready to step forward with her 2019 mission to achieve the goal of Thailand 4.0.

Dr. Nuttapon Nimmanphatcharin, President/CEO of depa announced the agency’s 2018 performance with great satisfactory that depa successfully accomplished the key missions set forth in line with the Government’s Digital Economy Master Plan (2018 – 2021) to promote digital industries/digital innovations and to encourage digital transformation for the benefits of Thailand’s economy, society, culture and security. In the light of this, it raised a digital awareness and made the public realize the importance of digital technology development and innovations in Thailand and across Southeast Asian region. All depa’s efforts expectedly initiated an investment in digital industries and business worth over Bt1,096.62 million.

“depa’s key missions are to support and promote digital economy in all aspects as well as to encourage digital infrastructure development. depa Funds is one of our tools to promote and support digital industry in public and private sectors to accelerate the country’s digital industry development while depa’s mini-transformation voucher offers subsidies to the existing business to encourage a digital transformation through digital technology and tool on regular basis. The budget of Bt274.15 million is thoroughly thought and well spent to promote the country’s digital development and take care of the assignments appointed by the Government and the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, where promotional events to promote digital technologies and innovations nationwide are included,” Dr. Nuttapon continued.

Accomplishment on digital economy includes:

• Encouraging small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to pursue digital transformation by offering subsidies via depa mini-transformation voucher;
• Offering tax incentives in form of 200% tax exemption for entrepreneurs using digital innovations/technologies registered and certified by depa. At present, more than 2,000 entrepreneurs received the privilege through depa’s promotion;
• Supporting and promoting potential growth of business through digital technology and innovations via depa Funds, which support both public and private sectors to accelerate Thailand’s digital industry development and cultivate more digital startups;
• Supporting and promoting potential growth of business through digital technology and innovations for the country’s core industries including agriculture, food, tourism, services, hardware, smart devices and digital content;
• Promoting digital ecosystem development to support the country’s digital transformation towards Thailand 4.0;
• Empowering digital society based on equal access to the online knowledge and the needs of local by leveraging traditional economy into digital and agricultural-based community with the benefits of digital technology.

Accomplishment on digital society includes:

• Developing digital manpower and enhancing the workforce with digital skill through new online education platform called Coding Thailand, which offered online training to over 100,000 youngsters since its launch. The platform also introduced Thaicode.or.th to more than 50 educational institutes including primary schools and universities across the country. Coding Thailand targets to offer the online platform to more than 6 million youth by 2019 and 10 million within 3 years.
• Creating networks of educational institutes/universities and government agencies for the development of digital workforce that are up to international standards and fit the requirement of the industries. The networks of 10 educational institutes and 9 government agencies now offers 14 certificate programs.

Accomplishment on mega projects on the development of digital economy, digital society, and digital ecosystem

• Digital Park Thailand project aims to support the growing businesses and industries of the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC): Under Digital Park Thailand project, IoT Institute, under depa’s responsibility, is expected to initiate future investments in digital technologies, digital innovations and Internet of Things (IoT) in Thailand. The institute is located on 30 rai of land consisting of 3 buildings. A1 building will be office center for depa, EEC and IOC, who takes care of Smart City development, digital startups’ sandbox in EEC area. A2 building will be home to digital technology/innovation development and laboratories for testing/certifying digital standards. A3 building will accommodate investments from large industry or international business.
• Smart City development: Smart City project focuses on 6 aspects of development including Smart Mobility, Smart Energy and Environment, Smart Economy, Smart Living, Smart People and Smart Governance. Smart City pilot project has been launched first in Phuket and soon to be activated in Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, Chonburi, Chachoengsao, Rayong and Bangkok. To set up a healthy Smart City ecosystem, 80 leading organizations in Thailand would join force to form Thailand’s Smart City Alliance.

Accomplishment on digital development promotion via international events:

• Digital Thailand Big Bang 2018; and
• the preparation of World Expo 2020 Dubai

Dr. Nuttapon also mentioned that in 2019, depa would continue all the works under the aforementioned 4-year master plan (2018 – 2021) through depa’s primary tools namely depa – Funds, which offers 8 promotional measures for the development of digital industries, and depa mini- transformation voucher, which offers subsidies for digital transformation.

Moreover, depa will focus on the country’s digital manpower development to enhance digital literacy through digital platform targeting 400,000 people. The tangible goals are to ensure more than 100,000 youngsters an equal opportunity to online coding class, to provide at least 50,000 certified persons into digital workforce, to upgrade digital skills of at least 5% of working people in Thai industries, and to produce Digital CEOs to be the digital leaders for the sake of the nation.