BANGKOK (The Nation/Asia News Network): Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaiwut Thanakhamanusorn (pic) joined the world’s biggest telecoms conference on Monday (Feb 27) to present Thailand’s 20-year digital plan – including the controversial merger of telecom giants.
Chaiwut attended the Mobile World Congress 2023's ministerial meeting, where the topic was "Innovation underpins the creation of new digital products and services and their application in the digital economy".
The three-day congress is being held in Barcelona, Spain, until Wednesday by the Global System for Mobile Communications Association.
Monday’s meeting saw Chaiwut present Thailand's digital development plan (2018-2037), spearheaded by big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technologies.
He also showcased Thailand’s smart city project, as well as the Silicon Valley tech hub in the Eastern Economic Corridor.
Chaiwut went on to outline how Thailand is combating threats arising in the new digital age, notably online and call-centre scams that have plagued the country in recent years.
In the afternoon session, Chaiwut was spotted in discussions with Telenor Group CEO Sigve Brekke.
Telenor is the parent company of Dtac, whose merger with True Corp will be finalised on Friday with the launch of trading in the shares of the merged company.
The merger was backed by Chaiwut but has sparked protest among consumer rights groups, who say it will lead to a virtual monopoly in the Thai telecoms industry and raise prices for customers.
Brekke reportedly thanked Chaiwut for supporting the private sector and said he was ready to collaborate with the government to benefit mobile users in Thailand.
