The government will also come out with new laws this year related to digitisation, while the Information and Communications Technology Ministry is setting up three “Digital Thailand” projects.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said at a seminar called “Digital Thailand 2016” yesterday that the government would support the installation of information-technology infrastructure.

It will also promote cooperation between the government and private sectors to develop human resources, hardware, software, and telecommunication equipment, and integrate all sectors such as smart agriculture to support the digitisation of the country.

Moreover, the government will submit seven digital-related laws such as the Digital Privacy Law, Cyber Security Law and Electronic Transaction Law to the Cabinet for approval by the end of this year.

It will also work with local and international businesses and foreign governments to drive the Digital Thailand project and will not leave its business partners behind, Prayut said.

He added that the government would utilise technology and innovation to support the elderly as senior citizens account for a greater proportion of the population.

ICT Minister Uttama Savanayana told the seminar that the three digital projects the ministry would push this year were the Digital for Community scheme, the Digital Park programme for small and medium-sized enterprises, and the Digital Start-up Innovation Network.

He said that for the Digital for Community scheme, the ministry would sign memoranda of understanding with government agencies and the private sector to provide new technology and innovations such as the Internet of Things to support SMEs and smart agriculture in communities nationwide.

The ministry will adapt around 2,000 existing ICT community centres into digital community centres, which will able to help people in each community offer their products online.

Meanwhile, with the Digital Park project, the ministry will act as facilitator for SMEs entering the “Industry 4.0” era in both the domestic and international markets.

With the Digital Start-up Innovation Network, Uttama said his ministry would cooperate with the Industry Ministry, the Science and Technology Ministry, five universities, and the telecom and financial sectors to create a start-up alliance to support digital industry and make the country more competitive. The five universities are Chulalongkorn, Sripatum University, Bangkok University, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, and King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi.

Bundhit Eua-arporn, president of Chulalongkorn University, said the institution would be one of mechanisms driving the Digital Thailand project with the role of conducting research and development as well as bringing forward innovations to support the healthcare and tourism industries.

The university will also set up a “CU Innovation Hub”.