New DES Minister Vows Tech Overhaul to Slash Fees and Fight Disasters
With only four months in office, Chaichanok Chidchob prioritises using data integration for flood prevention, streamlining government fees, and tackling the illegal 'Black Market'
- Thailand's new DES Minister, Chaichanok Chidchob, has launched a four-month agenda focused on using technology for disaster prevention and economic relief.
- To fight disasters, the ministry will use data integration to predict floods, establish new evacuation procedures, and deploy technology to enhance national security at borders.
- For economic relief, the minister aims to lower Gross Profit (GP) fees on digital platforms and adjust certain government fees to reduce financial burdens on citizens and businesses.
- The plan also includes using technology to streamline customs clearance, aiming to combat the black market and its negative impact on agricultural prices.
Thailand’s new Minister of the Digital Economy and Society (DES), Chaichanok Chidchob, has outlined an ambitious four-month agenda, promising to rapidly deploy technology to mitigate national crises, citing the urgent need to deliver maximum public benefit under extraordinary circumstances.
Following a traditional ceremony at the Government Complex on Saturday, Chaichanok stated that his focus will be strictly on two major areas: disaster prevention and economic relief for citizens facing volatility from global and domestic challenges.
"Given the unusual circumstances and a limited four-month window, the government must prioritise actions that yield the maximum benefit for the public and the economy," the Minister asserted.
Chaichanok acknowledged that he could not solve long-term issues like chronic floods and droughts in the time available.
Instead, he will focus on making existing systems highly efficient, stressing the use of data integration pioneered under current Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to predict and respond to flood-prone areas ahead of time.
Key actions against the four main threats identified by the Bhumjaithai Party's policy framework include:
Natural Disasters: Establishing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) based on experience from evacuation centres to ensure civil servants can quickly assist the public. The ministry is also seeking advice and specialised equipment from Japanese experts for managing issues like earthquakes and sinkholes.
Security Threats: Planning urgent visits to border areas to assess needs and rapidly deploy technology to support national security work.
Social Threats (Black Market): Working with the Ministry of Finance to use technology in processes like customs clearance. This aims to reduce "human error" and increase government efficiency, thereby tackling the illicit "Underground Market" which severely distorts agricultural prices.
Economic Relief and Digital Platforms
On the economic front, the Minister aims to use his limited tenure to push for relief measures to support businesses and citizens, even without time for full legislative reform.
His immediate measures include seeking cooperation to reduce costs related to Logistics obligations and lowering the Gross Profit (GP) fees charged by various digital platforms.
He also plans to push for the widespread adoption of digital platforms and adjust certain government fees levied on the public and the business sector to alleviate burdens.
"The data and insights gained from this focused work will allow the next government to address issues more accurately and efficiently," Chaichanok noted.
He confirmed his commitment to the role, stating that he would focus only on key priorities that offer the greatest public benefit.
