The CP Group patriarch made the remarks during the “Chula Thailand Presidents Summit 2025” at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok on Monday.
“AI and technology-driven daily life needs electricity, so clean energy business should be modernised,” he emphasised.
Noting that solar, wind and hydro power are not sufficient, he said the global society is paying attention to nuclear power. Indonesia and Malaysia have set up laws for supervising nuclear power, but Thailand has not, he pointed out.
Dhanin confirmed that the Thai economy still has potential to grow despite global challenges like geopolitics, climate change and rapid digital transformation.
There are opportunities amid crises, as Thailand has the advantage of being a strategic location for tourism, food production and convenience transportation, he said.
He backed the government’s visa-free policy for tourists, which generates tourism revenue for the country. However, he advised the government to allocate a budget to boost confidence among tourists over safety.
Apart from drought and floods, he pointed out that Thailand had never faced a severe earthquake and typhoon. He advised the government to work on land reforms and water irrigation development.
“Thailand can escape drought and flood if the country has good irrigation,” he said, adding that it would help boost agricultural production by five times.
Horticultural crops could be grown in highlands, lowlands could be turned into ponds for selling water and electricity, and areas around the pond could be used for living and tourism, he explained.
He urged the government to develop crop and livestock species to tolerate heat, using high quality and safe fertilisers, and adopt technology in the agriculture supply chain.
“Agricultural products are crude oil on the land, which are valuable assets that generate 90% of Thai people’s income,” he said, adding that Thailand should adopt technology and produce skilled workers to further boost the potential of the agriculture sector.
Dhanin urged educational institutions to train workers who benefit people, producers and the nation. Education sector is also important in attracting foreigners to Thailand similar to tourism, he said.
“Thailand has an insufficient force because the country can produce only around 300,000 students annually,” he said, adding that it would take about 10 years for Thailand to produce 5 million workers.
He advised the government to launch regulations to improve people’s quality of life. Businessmen should take responsibility in enabling people to live well because they cannot sell goods without purchasing power, he added.