Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (Thailand)

Kingdom of Thailand Ministry of Information and Communication Technology
กระทรวงเทคโนโลยีสารสนเทศ และการสื่อสาร
Ministry overview
Formed	3 October 2002
Jurisdiction	Government of Thailand
Headquarters	Building 9, ToT Public Company Ltd., Chaengwattana Rd., Lak Si, Bangkok
Annual budget	4,073.7 million Baht (2007)
Minister responsible	Anudith Nakornthap, Ministry of Information and Communication Technology
Ministry executive	[[]], Permanent Secretary of the Ministry
Website
www.mict.go.th

The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology of Thailand (Thai: กระทรวงเทคโนโลยีสารสนเทศและการสื่อสาร; RTGS: Krasuang Theknoloyi Sara Sonthet Lae Kan Sue San; Abrv: ICT), was established on the 3 October 2002. The Ministry is headed by a Minister of State, currently Anudith Nakornthap of the Pheu Thai Party.

Departments

Administration

• Office of the Minister
• Office of the Permanent Secretary

Dependent Departments

• Meteorological Department
• National Statistical Office of Thailand

Public Companies

• TOT Public Company Limited
• CAT Telecom Public Company Limited
• Thailand Post Company Limited

Public Organizations

• Software Industry Promotion Agency (Public Organization)

Looking forward

Following the 2011 Thai general election victory of the Pheu Thai Party, the new Minister, Group Captain Anudith Nakornthap, voiced readiness to push forward the ICT policy of his party^[1]. Prime Minister (and former president of Advanced Info Service) Ms. Yingluck Shinawatra envisions building internet data centres nationwide to accommodate emerging smart card technology. IDCs could help citizens with smart ID cards to access different state agencies. The smart ID card was a project of her brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin^[2].

The party campaigned on a pledge of free public WiFi and One Tablet per Child. Thai Internet technology companies hope the project will promote Thailand as a tablet manufacturing base exporting to Asean, and that the new ICT Minister will push for broadband internet prices of 300 baht (11 USD) per month, half the current rate, to increase accessibility and support the local ICT industry at large. Somkiat Ungaree, honorary president of the Association of the Thai Software Industry (ATSI), applauded the government's school tablet project in expectation of benefit to local software development^[3].

The new ICT Minister also went record to declare (in translation)

...from now on, the ministry’s officials and staff members of every level have been urged to be more stringent in the pursuing of violations against the Computer Crime Acts and lèse majesté on websites, by enforcing the law to the fullest.^[4].

References

1. ^ "ICT minister ready to push forward party policies". Thai Financial Post. August 10, 2011. http://thaifinancialpost.com/2011/08/10/ict-minister-ready-to-push-forward-party-policies/. Retrieved August 20, 2011.  |quote=
2. ^ "Yingluck may push for data centres". Bangkok Post. August 10, 2011. http://www.bangkokpost.com/print/251857/. Retrieved August 20, 2011. 
3. ^ "IT companies hope to build on state tablet project". Bangkok Post. August 10, 2011. http://www.bangkokpost.com/print/252171/. Retrieved August 20, 2011. 
4. ^ Saksith Saiyasombut (August 16, 2011). "Thailand’s lese majeste law claims another victim, opposition grows" (news, reaction). Siam Voices. Asian Correspondent. http://asiancorrespondent.com/61962/as-opposition-against-thailands-lese-majeste-law-continues-it-claims-another-victim/. Retrieved August 20, 2011. "Earlier this month, a 23-year-old graduate from the Kasetsart University has been arrested for allegedly posting content on his blog that is deemed insulting to the monarchy – also known as lèse majesté" 

See also

• List of ministries of Thailand
• Censorship in Thailand

External links

• Ministry of Information and Communication Technology - Official Website in Thai