Three provinces in Thailand – Phetchaburi, Chai Nat and Ratchaburi – have been urged to execute the swift implementation of the country’s smart city and digital economy initiatives. The Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa) met with directors and representatives from each region to promote the proposed rules.
The committee met with Wanpen Mangsri, the Deputy Governor of Phetchaburi, and other government authorities. A discussion of the Phetchaburi Digital Economy Promotion Plan Draft No. 1/2023 was on the agenda for the meeting. Twenty representatives from local organisations (both governmental and private) were present together with Apichatbut Rodyang, the Director of depa for the Central and Eastern Area.
At the conference, attendees gave the green light to a proposal to boost the province of Phetchaburi’s digital economy. The summit also tasked the relevant agencies with working together to enhance the indicators to reflect the agencies’ goals more closely and help advance development challenges in all four domains.
Apichatbutr proposed strategies for future collaboration with government bodies. For the province to make tangible progress towards becoming the next smart city by driving the promotion and use of technology and digital innovation among business organisations, communities, farmers, students, and people.
Wanphen has said that the provincial office and depa would work together to polish the substance of the draught plan to enhance the digital economy in Phetchaburi Province. The proposal will be discussed and hopefully approved at the upcoming meeting of the Integrated Provincial Administration Committee (Bor.Bor.Jor).
A similar meeting was also carried out in Chainat City. The Chai Nat Provincial Municipal League arranged the “Preparation for the smart city development plan” forum. In the meeting, Pornchai Homchuen, Assistant Director General of Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa) in collaboration with Acting Sub Lt. Sarayut Boonlertkul, President of the Institute for Digital Economy and Society Development in the People’s Sector was attended as a guest speaker.
Jesada Si Phi Nong, Mayor of Chainat City, elaborated the meeting aims to create cooperation in pushing for the upgrading of municipal areas into areas for development, driving smart cities, and preparing local government organisations for digital transformation. The meeting was designed supports access system to government administration and service under the action of a smart city and the process of preparing for the proposal to be considered as a smart city, with Pornchai and his team giving advice.
Jesada said that upgrading municipal areas in Chainat Province to become part of the smart city development is a challenge for local governments. Because it requires a collaborative integration process, it must have a development partnership approach. In this regard, depa is ready to drive local government organisations in the Chai Nat province to continue the Smart City effort.
Moreover, Deputy Governor Warittha Sanguansermsri presided over the Ratchaburi Provincial Digital Promotion Plan meeting. At the meeting, she discussed with representatives from several organisations a proposed strategy to boost the province of Ratchaburi’s digital economy.
Concrete progress had been made with the help of Seksan Phanboonmee, Head of the Digital Economy Strategy Department Policy and Strategy Department and Rapeepat Numnaphol, Central Region Branch Manager, depa and the provincial executives. Watchara Ngamdee, Ratchaburi Province’s Statistician; Panadda Pengpan, Provincial Office Head; Sommai Sanlaad, National Telecommunications Public Company Ltd, also pushing the development of smart cities (Smart City) and discussing future collaboration.
Warittha expressed satisfaction that the depa recognised the potential of Ratchaburi Province. As Ratchaburi is situated on the plain of the Mae Klong River, most of its inhabitants work in agriculture. Nonetheless, government employees in Ratchaburi are ready to create a preliminary strategy to advance the province’s digital economy.
She reassured the provincial office to allocate an action plan and set up a meeting with the appropriate organisations to discuss it. The Integrated Provincial Administration Committee (B.P.E.) arrangement will review, approve, and incorporate the finalised draught into the provincial development plan.
The interaction helped to strengthen the programme and make it more thorough.
