Their comments came during a Thursday seminar marking the International Institute for Management Development (IMD)’s 2023 digital competitiveness ranking, which saw Thailand rise five places from last year to 35th.
Panelists hailed the rise as good news as it would boost foreign investors’ confidence in Thailand.
However, the country still faced three big challenges to becoming a top global digital hub, they added.
Hosted by the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA), “Thailand Digital Competitiveness: Way Forward for National e-Transaction” aimed to identify paths for public-private partnership in digital technologies and innovations.
The panelists identified the three main obstacles to Thailand’s digital competitiveness as:
- Lack of digital talent
- Insufficient collaboration and integration between the public and private sectors
- Lack of coordination between government agencies
The digital development roles of the public and private sectors must also be clearly defined, they said.
Government should focus on its strong points as regulator/facilitator and leave the role of operator to the private sector, which has expertise, they added.
Vera Verakul, vice-chairman of the Digital Council of Thailand, said the government was eager to provide direction and a strategic framework but digital development was still disorganised and scattered with overlaps between agencies.
As a result, time and money were being squandered with little improvement or progress.
ETDA deputy executive director Tyn Tawitaranond agreed, saying that the transition to e-government was hampered by the absence of a central agency to oversee standards, directions, regulations, and measures for digitalisation.
