Enterprises urged to seize digital potential

The move follows TOT last week finishing the Pracha Rath broadband Internet network rollout project, which covers 24,700 villages nationwide. 
Of total, 13,468 villages are in the Northeast of the country, 4,416 villages in the North, 3,097 villages in the South, 2,084 villages in the central part of Thailand, and 1,554 in the East. 
Minister Pichet Durongkaveroj said yesterday that villagers in many areas were keen to learn to use innovations and technologies to strengthen their communities. 
The ministry has also provided training to 1,000 tutors to provide technology knowledge to community leaders.
Pichet yesterday visited Phitsanulok province to follow up how people would make the most out of the Pracha Rath broadband Internet network.
He has asked The Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) to seek ways to promote the use of e-commerce nationwide. 
One of ETDA projects is SMEs Go Online, which provides extensive information on doing e-commerce to SMEs and those in One Tambon, One Product (OTOP) businesses.
ETDA has set a target of 5,000 SMEs nationwide entering the|e-commerce channel next year under its project versus 20,000 this year.
Pichet also visited a Thailand Post office in Amphur Muang, Phitsanulok, which is hosting an application for community shops to use digital technology to manage inventories and product sales, and for customers to order products.
Soranun Jiwasurat, ETDA’s deputy executive director, said that based on the organisation’s SMEs Go Online project, SMEs have upgraded themselves to trade online with 30,000 more products in the e-marketplace place this year.
Phitsanulok is a secondary province for tourism with transportation links to a neighbouring country, an airport, educational institutions at all levels, and famous local products including banana and rice, Soranun said.
Having Pracha Rath Internet access into all villages of the province would give more opportunities for learning, and local products could be offered through e-commerce so families could earn more income, he said.

Expanding knowledge
Though some small and medium-sized businesses may already be doing businesses online, they might not yet fully understand how to integrate e-commerce in terms of online marketing or other key components like payment systems, packaging and delivery to customers, Soranun said.
“Last week, we arranged a two-day course for exchange of knowledge, online transaction practices, photography by mobile phones, payment systems, packaging, shop opening on Facebook and applications for SMEs Go Online programme, as well as preparation of public relations for products,” he said.
E-commerce is expected to become a powerful tool for opportunity, occupations and income, and also reduce inequality in society, he said.