Policy Statement of the Government of Mr. Somchai Wongsawat, Prime Minister, delivered before the National Assembly, Tuesday 7 October B.E. 2551 (2008)
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Honourable President of the National Assembly,
Pursuant to the Royal Command dated 18 September 2008 appointing me Prime Minister, and the Royal Command dated 24 September 2008 appointing the Council of Ministers, the Council of Ministers — in adherence to the system of parliamentary democracy with the King as Head of State and the fundamental state policy stipulated in Chapter 5 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand — has formulated its policy on the administration of state affairs. The Council of Ministers therefore wishes to present the said policy to this joint session of the National Assembly to apprise the latter of the intent, strategy and policies of the Government, which is committed to fostering unity and harmony in Thai society, thereby leading to mutual cooperation on economic, social and political and administrative development of the country for the benefit and happiness of all Thais.
Mr. President,
Thailand has strong economic and social foundations, abundant food and natural resources, as well as competitive industrial and services sectors. Thailand is also a country where both Thais and foreigners have always lived happily.
The Thai economy grew at a healthy rate of 5.7% in the first half of this year, supported by a still high rate of export expansion, record high prices for agricultural products, and an increasing number of tourists as compared to the previous year. However, the Thai economy has had to face two important negative external factors. The first is the soaring oil price on the global market during the first eight months of this year, resulting in inflation and hardship to the people, particularly those of low income. The second is the crisis in the United States’ financial institutions, one of the most severe
in the past century and which is expected to affect the global and Thai economy. At the initial stage, this crisis is expected to affect the stock market, cause capital outflows and increase risk from exchange rate volatility. In subsequent stages, the crisis could affect Thailand’s exports due to the slowdown of the U.S. economy and other affected economies in the region, such as China and Japan, as well as Europe.
Apart from these external factors, the domestic situation, which is still marked by political conflict, has constrained the effective administration of the country and affected the confidence of consumers, tourists and investors, Thai and foreign alike.
The time has now come for all Thais to turn to one another, think and act together to tackle the problems with a sense of patriotism and the recognition that Thailand belongs to each and every Thai, in order to bring back security, peace and stability, restore confidence among Thais and foreigners, and contribute to sustainable and balanced progress of the nation.
The Government will implement the “116 Days From Mother’s Day to Father’s Day: Building Unity” Project, to spur cohesiveness and solidarity among the Thai people. Towards the end of this year, the Government will look after the cremation ceremony of Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana Krom Luang Naradhivas Rajanagarindra with highest honour accorded to her as intended by all Thai people.
The Government attaches the highest importance to resolving the political conflict in Thai society through moderation. The Government is therefore determined to address this problem by listening to views from all sectors in order to narrow differences of opinion and build common agreement on the approach to solve the problem. The Government will support the judicial process in working independently and serving as a mechanism to settle disputes that have entered the legal process. The Government intends to find a peaceful solution to the problem in keeping with the ethical, caring and forgiving culture which characterizes Thai society.
The Government will expeditiously revitalize the Thai economy by building domestic and foreign investors’ confidence that Thailand is a secure investment destination, a democracy with the King as Head of State and adheres to the rule of law; as well as by creating a favourable investment climate through simplification of rules and
regulations to facilitate businesses and through speedy implementation of the deferred investments in infrastructure necessary for enhancing the competitiveness of the country.
Moreover, the Government will ensure smooth and successful organization of the ASEAN Summit Meeting, which Thailand is due to host, with a view to shoring up confidence among the international community that the situation in Thailand has returned to peace and harmony. As Chairman of ASEAN, Thailand will push for the realization of the ASEAN Charter, lay the groundwork for the region towards becoming a people-centred ASEAN Community, and initiate and promote cooperation towards a future Asian financial community.
In addition to the afore-mentioned priorities, the Government has important missions in laying the foundation for stable and sustainable growth, promote the adjustment of the manufacturing and services sectors toward higher value goods and services, and creating balance, stability and immunity in the national economy. These involve all aspects of the Government’s policy — from development of knowledgeable and ethical human resources, support for long-term savings, promotion of the New Theory of Agriculture in suitable areas, fostering self-reliant communities that are linked step-by-step to the market, promotion of energy stability and security, supervision of capital flows, and enhancement of the country’s ability to utilize and build upon technologies in a manner compatible with Thai traditional wisdom, which will lead to innovation and income generation for the economy in line with the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy, which is the principal approach of the Government in performing its duties in accordance with the fundamental state policy.
Mr. President,
The Government will undertake the administration of state affairs in accordance with the Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy and the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand. This is divided into two phases. The first phase comprises urgent policies to be implemented within the first year of this Government, and the second phase comprises policies to be implemented over the three-year period of the Government’s tenure.
1. Urgent policies to be implemented within the first year
1.1 Engender harmony and reconciliation among people in the country and restore democracy by enhancing common understanding among people in the country to foster cohesiveness and solidarity as well as adherence to the system of democratic government with the King as Head of State; fostering the public’s conscience based on reason and the good of the majority; and seeking constructive, peaceful and conciliatory solutions that respect divergent views, on the basis of the rule of law and the judicial process in order to ensure justice for all.
1.2 Resolve the situation in the Southern Border Provinces by applying His Majesty the King’s approach of “understand, reach, develop” in carrying out the work in safeguarding the security of life and property of the people, promoting good governance including in the administration of justice and fairness, and developing the local economy, including provision of accessible basic public services in congruence with specific local conditions, way of life, culture and popular beliefs of the people; and emphasizing the participation of all sectors and unified management in order to bring about peace, reconciliation and harmony to the area as quickly as possible.
1.3 Enhance development cooperation and promote friendly relations among countries in the region by expeditiously resolving problems along the borders through diplomatic means, and establishing mechanisms for joint development of border areas with neighbouring countries based on the principles of mutual benefit, peaceful co-existence and good neighbourliness in the region;
1.4 Create mechanisms to manage risk generated by the global financial crisis to both short- and long-term capital inflows and outflows, oversee liquidity in domestic financial institutions and capital markets, and support the concerted implementation of financial and fiscal policies in order to stabilize the financial system and capital market and immunize them against global financial volatility.
1.5 Restore confidence among domestic and foreign investors and tourists by creating a favourable investment climate, amending regulations which pose obstacles to investment both domestically and abroad, promoting outstanding and unique image of Thailand, as well as urgently enhancing tourists’ confidence in order to generate income and ensuring Thailand’s continued position as a world-class tourism hub.
1.6 Expedite the country’s major investments in both continued and new projects which are ready to be implemented in order to raise people’s quality of life and increase the country’s competitiveness, taking into account national fiscal discipline, transparency and accountability. Examples of such projects include development of mass transit and suburban rail systems in Bangkok and its vicinities, double-tracked trains, improvement of public bus services, development of renewable energy, enhancement of the capacity of Suvarnabhumi Airport and other major airports, development of water and irrigation management systems, investment in upgrading the entire national educational system, along with establishing professional accreditation institutes, and investment to restructure the health care system toward more health protection and promotion.
1.7 Address problems facing people and entrepreneurs as a consequence of natural disasters, inflation and energy prices by providing financial aid to and creating jobs for those affected by natural disasters, supervising price levels of consumer goods and energy to be appropriate and fair for both consumers and producers, maintain stability of domestic energy prices in spite of volatility in global energy prices; and promoting energy conservation and use of alternative energy.
1.8 Establish a Farmers’ Council and a risk insurance scheme for farmers so that farmers will have the Council as a mechanism through which they can communicate with the Government and work together to empower themselves, have access to capital sources and have a risk insurance scheme to reduce risk from damage caused by natural disasters, ensure price stability for agricultural products vis-?-vis global market volatility, and create fair returns for farmers.
1.9 Improve access to sources of funding for communities through participatory processes with a view to generating career opportunities, nurturing and managing local resources, and supporting local communities. This will be done by expediting the implementation of potential capacity-building projects under the village and urban community funds, ensuring that these projects have good management, promoting their registration as juristic persons, and allocating budgets for all villages and communities, on a continuous basis and in accordance with each village’s population size, to ensure long-term benefits to the communities.
1.10 Support the extension of credit to low-income individuals and small and medium enterprises by continuing the People’s Bank Project to broaden opportunities for low-income individuals to have access to sources of funding, creating funding alternatives and reducing reliance on informal sources of credit, creating new entrepreneurs and extending credit to small and medium enterprises through state financial institutions.
1.11 Improve efficiency in the management of the One Tambon One Product project by enabling communities to have access to new know-how and funding sources, as well as enhancing the management, product standards and marketing capabilities of communities in order to link local products with national and overseas markets, strengthen production networks among communities and engage the private sector in supporting producers of community products.
1.12 Step up the suppression of drug trafficking, influential persons, vice, and temptations that negatively influence young people by supporting the “Thai People Unite to Fight Drugs” operation; intensifying efforts to resolve narcotic drugs problems, reduce the number of drug addicts and prevent vulnerable groups from falling victim to drugs; utilizing local community participation process in conjunction with just implementation of suppression and law enforcement measures; and implementing legal and judicial measures to cut off all channels by which influential persons acquire their ill-gotten gains.
1.13 Expedite improvement of the public health system by improving the quality of services of the health insurance system and expanding access to quality services for all in accordance with the “30 Baht Cures All Project”.
1.14 Expedite management of water resources and increase efficiency of the water distribution system in and outside irrigation zones by rehabilitating and dredging drainage ways, canals and natural sources of water; developing surface and underground water sources; constructing large, medium and small-scale irrigation systems to support the restructuring of the agricultural sector; mitigating the impact of floods and droughts in urban communities and agricultural areas; promoting development of sanitary water supply systems for usage and consumption by people in all areas; developing underground water systems and clean water for schools; and enhancing the efficiency of water distribution by developing various types of irrigation systems including water diversion to increase water reserves.
1.15 Intensify measures and projects to mitigate the impact of and prepare for global warming through rigorous suppression of deforestation, coupled with improvement of the boundary lines of state-owned land, and verification of land rights including in forest lands, and accelerated development and rehabilitation of forest resources, especially management of dams to increase moisture in upstream forests; increasing urban green areas; preparing for floods and drought prevention; cultivating crops in accordance with available water levels; promoting the use of environment-friendly technologies and clean alternative energy in manufacturing and service sectors, including the use of energy from agricultural, household and industry by-products, to reduce greenhouse gases; and building awareness among Thais of all ages and walks of life about their duties to help prevent global warming.
1.16 Develop a master plan for climate change, volatility of energy prices and global food crisis by encouraging all sectors, including government sector, private sector, educational institutions and the public, to participate in the drafting of the master plan which will serve as a guideline for developing systematic and longer-term preparedness for such situation.
Mr. President,
As for the policies to be implemented over the three-year tenure of this Government, the Government will implement the following key policies for the administration of state affairs, as stated in Policies 2 to 8:
2. National Security Policy
2.1 Honour and protect the monarchy, uphold the revered position of His Majesty the King which shall not be violated, promote loyalty towards the monarchy in public consciousness and protect the monarchy from being exploited by certain groups, and create an environment that fosters love, unity and harmony among people of the nation.
2.2 Strengthen the national defence system to be proficient in safeguarding the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity of the state and national interests by modernising weapons and equipment and enhancing preparedness of the armed forces; mobilising the public to participate in the maintenance of national security; and supporting national development and peacekeeping missions within the framework of the United Nations.
2.3 Develop a management system to address the problem of illegal immigrants, illegal alien workers and persons with unclear status; emphasize strict law enforcement against illegal migrant smuggling rings backed by influential persons; ensure justice and prevent problems that may affect peace and stability of the country, in conjunction with addressing the issue of status and rights of persons with unclear status, taking into account the balance between maintaining national security and protecting basic rights.
2.4 Develop and strengthen networks for international cooperation to prevent and address terrorism and transnational crime, and work to develop a system to manage border areas, which will generate economic benefits while also safeguarding security; ensure protection of national maritime interests and remove, in an expeditious manner, conditions that create misunderstandings with neighbouring countries so as to promote good relations and advance economic and security cooperation.
2.5 Reform the intelligence system for maintaining security and enhancing national interests by establishing a system for integrated cooperation among civilian, police and military agencies; and emphasize in-depth economic, social and security data that will truly benefit efforts to prevent and resolve problems facing the nation.
2.6 Develop a national preparedness system by focusing on crisis management to meet increasing challenges posed by both natural and man-made disasters, through mobilisation of all sectors to work together with efficiency to prevent, resolve and mitigate damages caused by disasters and to rehabilitate the country.
3. Social and Quality of Life Policy
3.1 Education Policy
3.1.1 Invest in raising the quality of the entire educational system, including the development of teachers, curricula, instructional media and information technology, with a view to achieving success in terms of quality and knowledge of students in accordance with the educational plans and in line with available resources and surrounding factors, leading to the creation of a system of life-long learning for Thai people, and establishing Thailand as a regional education hub.
3.1.2 Ensure that every Thai citizen has access to no fewer than 12 years of education, free of charge, with particular attention given to the indigent, persons with disabilities or the invalid, persons in distress, as well as persons with autism, children with attention deficit disorder and other disadvantaged individuals; and increase opportunities to continue education through student loan schemes, link this effort with the policy on production of university graduates, which corresponds to the country’s need for knowledgeable and capable personnel, and provide supplementary scholarships for both domestic and overseas education;
3.1.3 Adjust the system for producing and developing teachers with quality and high moral standards, while also ensuring that teachers enjoy good quality of life and appropriate income and welfare; develop and modernise curricula and instructional media in line with global changes; promote studies in Thai language and history in order to instill a sense of Thainess; and expand the role of creative learning systems through organisations such as the Office of Knowledge Management and Development, a modern library system or knowledge parks, the National Discovery Museum Institute, the Thailand Creative and Design Centre, a centre for development of
sports, music and art, and a centre for treatment and development of autistic persons, children with attention deficit disorder and other disadvantaged individuals.
3.1.4 Promote intensive use of information technology to enhance learning efficiency, promote use of remote learning media, provide broad access to high-speed Internet, provide information technology equipment to complement learning and teaching plans in schools, and develop foreign language skills.
3.1.5 Develop quality and standard of institutions for higher education toward excellence in research and innovation, high-level academic and professional services, and workforce production and development that corresponds to structural changes of the manufacturing and services sectors; accelerate the development of high-quality vocational labour force with clear career path to enhance the country’s competitiveness in various sectors such as petrochemicals, software, food, textiles, health and tourism services, and logistics management; provide occupational and professional competence certification; and continue the expansion of the role of the Fix-It Centre at the community level.
3.1.6 Promote and support decentralisation of educational management to district education offices and academic institutions, extensive participation of the private sector in educational management with concrete measures, capacity-building for local administrative bodies to prepare them for the transfer of responsibility in educational management, and adjustment of regulations to enable local administrative bodies to support and manage education up to the required quality and standards.
3.1.7 Support the management mechanism of the entire educational system which covers planning, management, supervision and evaluation systems, in order to make use of collected data in continual adjustment of educational management strategies.
3.2 Labour Policy
3.2.1 Train and develop both people with employment and those whose employment has been terminated, to boost labour productivity and create opportunities for their entry into the manufacturing and services sectors which have a higher level of technology or provide services based on Thai hospitality; provide training for people in both urban and rural areas in accordance with their needs; and promote self-employment to increase incomes and reduce poverty.
3.2.2 Establish an early warning and monitoring system to keep track of situations that may have impact on employment and termination of employment due to structural changes of the manufacturing and services sectors; and provide assistance for swift re-employment.
3.2.3 Provide labour protection in accordance with Thai labour laws which attach importance to the safety and welfare of workers, provide work security guarantee for workers, and put in place a system for more comprehensive protection of the informal workforce.
3.2.4 Promote employment of older persons and persons with disabilities in various forms such as occasional work, temporary work and short-term contract work; and expand work opportunities for older persons with specific professional skills.
3.2.5 Promote skills development for Thai workers and enhance their overseas employment opportunities, as well as ensure that they are treated fairly in the employment process, from the hiring stage onwards as well as while they work abroad.
3.3 Public Health Development Policy
3.3.1 Improve the quality of the universal health insurance system and ensure unobstructed public access to the system; provide for measures to reduce health risk factors and poor diet which lead to chronic illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and traffic accidents; and introduce tax measures on consumption of products harmful to health with a view to inducing personal
behavioural change towards reducing, suspending and giving up health-risk behaviours.
3.3.2 Invest in health services by developing quality of health services in an integrated manner linking all levels, producing and developing doctors and public health personnel, increasing incentives and revising related regulations and laws, and developing an information technology system to make it up-to-date and connected with all related government agencies; promote Thailand as a health service hub by developing the standard of services to the international level, fostering cooperation between the government and private sector, and revising laws to facilitate Thailand’s position as a health service hub.
3.3.3 Implement a proactive disease surveillance, prevention and control system to prevent illness and death from newly emerging and recurring diseases in human beings, while also building surveillance, diagnostic and treatment capacities in a systematic and coordinated manner, with involvement of all relevant sectors.
3.3.4 Increase incentives to support and expand the role of public health volunteers so that they can be key players in their communities in providing care for children, older persons and persons with disabilities, looking after hospital patients, and undertaking disease surveillance and health promotion among people in the communities, thereby reducing the burden on medical care expenses; and link activities of these volunteers with those of local administrative bodies;
3.3.5 Encourage people at all levels to have opportunities to exercise and play sports with a view to promoting good health and well-being, support the organisation of international sports and games, and develop skills of able-bodied athletes and athletes with disabilities toward excellence so that they may bring recognition to the country.
3.4 Policy on Religion, Arts and Culture
3.4.1 Support, protect and nurture Buddhism and other religions so that they play an important role in inculcating people’s understanding and application of religious teachings in promoting virtue, ethics and quality of life.
3.4.2 Revitalise and ensure the preservation and continuation of the value and diversity of Thai arts and culture, including Thai way of life, traditions, virtuous values and local wisdom; conserve historical parks, archaeological sites and museums for educational benefit and use in value creation of products based on knowledge and Thai identity; promote and develop historical and archaeological sites into world heritage sites; and promote more intensively arts and culture for children and youth.
3.4.3 Develop cultural learning and recreational spaces for Thai children and youth so that they have proper learning, make productive use of their spare time, be virtuous and caring towards others, have creative learning about arts as well as appreciate the importance and aesthetic value of arts.
3.4.4 Expand the role and create cooperation networks among cultural councils in every province and development partners from all sectors in order to enable these councils to serve as cultural watchdog mechanisms to monitor lifestyles and all types of media which affect cultural deviancy and influence behaviour of children and youth; eradicate media which are harmful to society; and expand constructive media with a view to building social immunity in a timely manner.
3.5 Policy on Security of Life and Society
3.5.1 Create a life-long learning society with families, communities, religious and academic institutions playing a role in all stages of child development from infancy, so that children will grow up with virtue, life skills, knowledge and morality; instill in children the positive values of Thai culture; support social activities with broad participation; provide public areas for family activities; and create warm and loving family values.
3.5.2 Support the role of communities in promoting participatory processes for local people in order to build community strength by linking this with the role of local administrative bodies in assisting and providing care for older persons, persons with disabilities and the indigent; and organise activities to encourage family participation such as sports, recreational activities and religious activities.
3.5.3 Ensure human security and dignity for children, women, older persons, persons with disabilities and underprivileged individuals by eradicating human trafficking rings, eliminating all forms of discrimination and violation of the rights of children, women and persons with disabilities; promote learning and occupation for women and persons with disabilities so that they become self-reliant; and enhance appropriate social welfare for older persons, persons with disabilities and underprivileged individuals.
3.5.4 Prepare for an aging society on the principle that older persons are valuable assets in the country’s economic and social system by providing income security and savings systems to ensure that income earned during their productive years will be sufficient after their retirement; encourage age-appropriate healthy lifestyles; promote use of the experience and wisdom of older persons in the national development process through a brain trust system; and expand the stipend base to cover older persons without income.
3.5.5 Create liveable urban environments and increase green zones in urban areas, with systematic city planning and strict enforcement of laws related to public safety and the environment; provide appropriate basic services with a quality school in every neighbourhood, efficient modes of communications and transportation, and safety of life and property.
4. Economic Policy
4.1 Macroeconomic Management Policy
4.1.1 Promote the stability and efficiency of financial institutions and capital markets by putting in place and upgrading regulatory standards consistent with changes in financial engineering and innovation; and build immunity against the impact of the global financial crisis.
4.1.2 Support stable economic growth, regulate inflation in line with Thailand’s prevailing economic conditions amidst the volatile global economy with stable monetary and exchange rate policy frameworks which correspond to the economic situation and fundamentals of the country as well as its fiscal policy and capital market.
4.1.3 Maintain fiscal discipline to induce long-term fiscal stability, which include the central budget, off-budget monies, local budgets, and financial status of state enterprises and specialised state financial institutions; reform the country’s entire budgetary system in line with integrated national development; as well as expedite preparation of a good fiscal management law as a supervisory mechanism and practical framework.
4.1.4 Improve the taxation and tax collection systems to make them fair, efficient and sufficient for expenditures in economic and social development in the future.
4.1.5 Encourage a system of long-term savings to ensure that people have adequate savings for old age through proper returns on savings or investments at an acceptable level of risk, and to serve as a pool of savings for the country’s mobilization of funds in the future.
4.1.6 Improve the efficiency of capital markets to be on par with major regional and global markets in terms of governance, price and quality, with attention given to improving incentives to encourage national savings, increasing the roles of capital markets and debt instrument markets as sources of financing for the Government’s large-scale investment projects and as a driving force of the Thai economy and an accessible service provider of financial services, and setting up mechanisms to monitor and regulate capital market development in coordination with money market development as well as to connect with capital markets worldwide.
4.17 Set up a framework for public large-scale investment projects which have appropriate sources of financing and investment formats, with due regard to
the country’s fiscal discipline; and promote the role of the private sector in order to lessen the burden on public investment.
4.1.8 Improve the capacity of state enterprises to function as efficient supporting mechanisms to drive Thailand’s development and investment strategies; establish a revenue base and value for state assets, with efficient management and regulation systems based on good governance, including having a separate ‘social account’, transparency, performance indicators; and accelerate rehabilitation of state enterprises with financial difficulties.
4.2 Economic Restructuring Policy
4.2.1 Agricultural Sector
4.2.1.1 Develop a integrated process of value addition for agricultural goods by expediting efficiency enhancement in the production of key crops in accordance with local conditions; promote research and development on crop strain development; rehabilitate environmental conditions such as soil and water supply; zone farmland to define proper areas for food and energy crop production; enhance production efficiency of energy crops such as oil palm, sugar cane, and cassava to produce alternative energy, and related industries in response to the global food and energy crisis.
4.2.1.2 Enhance fisheries by managing resources and environment; develop aquaculture for both coastal and local inland freshwater fisheries; promote international cooperation on fisheries in international waters and develop the potential of the fishery product industry.
4.2.1.3 Enhance the potential of production and marketing in the livestock sector by developing each stage of the production process to achieve safety and international standards; promote livestock breed development such as cows, buffaloes, swine and others; enhance the potential of surveillance, prevention, and control of livestock diseases; enhance the potential of livestock product inspection and certification, as well as explore new global markets for livestock products.
4.2.1.4 Promote value addition for agricultural goods through processing that meets international quality standards to create links with agro-industry, by supporting research and development on standards for food and agricultural production and food safety; expedite negotiation of agreements on agricultural products and food standards to prevent non-tariff barriers to trade; support the establishment of an effective disease prevention and control system, as well as supporting agricultural processing within communities.
4.2.1.5 Promote the New Theory of agriculture at the community level according to His Majesty’s initiative to provide agricultural households with food security; promote the learning process on organic farming, integrated farming, forest farming, school lunch projects, and livestock banks according to His Majesty’s initiative, with farmers and communities setting their own direction and approach.
4.2.1.6 Restructure agricultural production by establishing agricultural estates and expedite land zoning for efficient and integrated agricultural production and management, with a balance between food and alternative energy production, with the cooperation of all related agencies; increase farmer’s revenues, GDP, improve farmers’ standards of living, and reserve 130 million rai of arable land for sustainable agriculture.
4.2.1.7 Strengthen the entire agricultural sector by enhancing and developing the quality of the new generation of farmers of all ages in production, management, product management, and management of agricultural organization, through innovation, local wisdom and appropriate technology; promote and develop curricular and extra-curricular learning systems to increase the potential of the agriculture sector as a strong foundation of the economy, society and culture.
4.2.2 Industrial Sector
4.2.2.1 Improve the efficiency of the industrial sector, including creating value for industrial products by integrating cooperation among government agencies to promote industrial development and upgrading labour skills and product
standards; develop entrepreneurial management skills, improve the efficiency of machinery and industrial logistics on the basis of cooperation among the public sector, private sector, and educational institutions.
4.2.2.2 Develop and drive industries in which Thailand has high potential and advantage, such as food, steel, automobiles, petrochemicals, energy, electronics, making them regional and global production hubs through the promotion of investment or granting of privileges to high-potential industries, including securing and developing suitable acreage and infrastructure to support industrial development in the next twenty years, bearing in mind the environmental impact and local community participation.
4.2.2.3 Create products of high quality and standards to add value and protect the intellectual property of products produced in Thailand, by supporting skills development in combination with utilization of modern technology, such as fashion goods, jewelry and accessories, as well as using marketing measures and building brand recognition of Thai products to enhance their popularity both domestically and abroad.
4.2.2.4 Create and strengthen small and medium-scale entrepreneurs, including community enterprises, to serve as a production base for the domestic economy, by encouraging cluster formation to enhance product value and competitiveness, through support for knowledge and innovation; and foster good entrepreneurial governance and social responsibility.
4.2.2.5 Promote and expand the role of business incubation centres for entrepreneurs wishing to create high-value products and services by using modern technology custom-designed to make use of the potential of each area; create centres for industrial product development and design; and promote commercial utilization of knowledge and innovation.
4.2.3 Tourism and Services Sector
4.2.3.1 Promote cooperation among all government agencies, local administrative organizations, communities and the private sector in creating economic value and social value from tourism by raising tourism quality and standards to be sustainable, clean, safe, and unique in identity; establish new tourist destinations in areas with the potential to link nature, arts and culture with community way of life, as well as keep tourists safe from crime, fraud and preventable or avoidable accidents, whether from negligence or natural dangers; and give importance to controlling the number of tourists and impact on the environment.
4.2.3.2 Promote tourism linkages with neighboring countries, including tourism packages linking various provinces, along with the promotion of quality tourist markets, Thai and foreign, such as groups of families, retirees, the health-conscious, the MICE market, groups interested in eco-tourism, adventure tourism, local cultures, and historical and archeological sites, with due regard for community participation in the sustainable development of each area.
4.2.3.3 Promote the service sector, particularly small- and medium-size entrepreneurs with potential, in order to expand the operating and marketing base toward the regional level, for example, in healthcare services, international education, logistics for goods and services, information and communications technology, construction, sports and recreation-related businesses, and the business management industry; open new opportunities for the creative industries which would add value for Thai entrepreneurs and businesses, such as the film industry, the MICE industry, the fashion industry, and businesses based on Thai culture and identity, by developing a master plan on the creative industries, giving importance to knowledge development and innovation, strengthening entrepreneurs, business standards, personnel and marketing.
4.2.4 Marketing, Trade and Investment
4.2.4.1 Promote a policy of free and fair competition, prevent monopolization and protect consumers effectively; and reassure business entrepreneurs regarding protection of intellectual property rights.
4.2.4.2 Enhance laws and regulations that promote trade and investment in order to create a favorable investment climate and build confidence among domestic and foreign investors.
4.2.4.3 Undertake proactive marketing to maintain existing markets and acquire new ones in order to reduce the country’s dependence on major export markets by promoting export of goods and services to new markets, namely, China, India, the Middle East, Africa and Eastern Europe, and maintaining share in major export markets, with emphasis on the export of goods and services with high growth in new markets.
4.2.4.4 Develop goods and services that open up new revenue opportunities, such as halal goods and services, which will expand opportunities for export of services, and attract investment and tourism, domestic and foreign.
4.2.4.5 Expand economic linkages for trade benefits under multilateral and bilateral cooperation frameworks and trade arrangements to support economic restructuring, including improving facilities to expand markets in international trade and border trade.
4.2.4.6 Support overseas investment in areas where Thai operators have potential, including investment to set up production factories, contract farming agreements, opening of branches, acquiring representatives and partners in foreign countries to build Thai business networks overseas.
4.3 Policy on Infrastructure, Logistics and Mass Transit Management
4.3.1 Develop and expand quality infrastructure services to all regions extensively and sufficiently, in particular by providing necessary basic public utilities such as clean water, waste disposal, telecommunications services, housing, and dust-free rural roads.
4.3.2 Develop safe and convenient transport systems and link rural, urban and international logistics networks, giving priority to the development of
infrastructure and rail transport services, as part of multimodal transport networks, to reduce the cost of exporting goods and services.
4.3.3 Develop water transport and the merchant marine industry, both domestic and international; develop deep-water ports and sub-regional networks in the South as new gateways to trade, community ports and Thai fleets, to strengthen water transport service capabilities and improve linkage efficiency with other transport systems.
4.3.4 Develop international airports, regional airports and Thailand’s aviation industry for Thailand to become a leading aviation, tourism and air cargo hub in Asia and the world.
4.3.5 Promote the development of transport-related industries to encourage learning and technology transfer in both production and management aspects.
4.3.6 Promote public participation in the development of mega-projects, and seriously implement measures to reduce their impact on the environment and communities.
4.4 Energy Policy
4.4.1 Enhance energy security to ensure sufficient energy for the country’s development and greater energy self-reliance for the people’s well-being by expediting more investment in the domestic exploration and production of energy, enhancing cooperation and relations with neighboring countries on energy, energy investment in foreign countries; supervise and plan the development of electricity generation capacity as appropriate for the country’s economic conditions; and undertake preparatory studies for decisions on the development of alternative energy which utilizes high technology.
4.4.2 Encourage the supervision of energy matters so that domestic energy prices are appropriate and stable amidst the volatility of the global energy
market, in keeping with the economic and investment situation, by determining a fuel price structure that reflects actual market costs and is fair to the public, to stimulate competition and investment in the energy industry, while ensuring that the energy industry maintains high standards of quality, service and safety.
4.4.3 Continuously promote research and development in all forms of alternative energy, by setting it as a national agenda, especially in the area of biofuels such as gasohol and biodiesel, expediting greater use of natural gas in the transportation and industrial sectors, electricity generation from promising domestic renewable energy sources, as well as establishing incentives for the appropriate production and usage of alternative energy by producers and consumers, with balance among food, energy and the environment.
4.4.4 Promote serious and continuous energy conservation through national campaigns for discipline in saving energy, support efficient energy usage by promoting the development of standards in energy-efficient building design, raising efficiency standards for consumer electrical appliances, improving the mass transit system, by developing logistical systems that rely more on electric and rail transport systems to reduce oil dependency, pollution and urban traffic congestion.
4.4.5 Promote development, production, and use of energy concurrently with environmental conservation, by establishing standards for energy production and fuels to reduce their environmental impact; campaign for and encourage the tackling of global warming by promoting Clean Development Mechanisms (CDM).
4.5 Policy on Information Technology
4.5.1 Develop information technology infrastructure, such as extensive and adequate high-speed communications networks, at appropriate, fair and competitive prices, to serve as the main network to support Thailand’s development into a knowledge-based society, reduce the urban-rural divide and enhance national competitiveness.
4.5.2 Develop the software, hardware, and electronic media knowledge service industries; arrange capital support mechanisms for small and medium information technology entrepreneurs; promote human resource development to meet market demand and standards to establish Thailand as a regional center for information and communications technologies.
4.5.3 Promote use of information technology to improve public and private sector management by utilizing electronic systems, linkage of logistics data, early warning systems and national security -- including prevention of access to harmful media by minors -- education and public health services; develop geo-informatics and space technology to improve quality of life and increase national competitiveness; develop a master plan for public sector information technology development, which covers investment in software, hardware, and human resource development; and establishment of networks to enhance connectivity and shared use of data and information technology systems.
5. Policies on Land, Natural Resources, and the Environment
5.1 Conserve soil and forestry by suppressing encroachment and destruction of forests, including by improving the efficiency of equipment, officer morale, imposing strict punitive provisions, preventing the burning of forest and farmland and topsoil destruction; reduce chemical use in agriculture; rehabilitate soil and prevent soil erosion and degradation by planting vetiver grass in accordance with His Majesty’s initiatives; conserve watershed and pristine forest areas; support forestation and forest rehabilitation and community forests in accordance with His Majesty’s initiatives; support cultivation of commercial timber in suitable areas; and build stream check dams in accordance with His Majesty’s initiatives.
5.2 Manage natural resources and the environment with the participation of the public, local communities, local administrative offices and the private sector, particularly at the local level, ensuring balance between utilization, tenure, and conservation of the resource base, land, forest, mangrove forests, wildlife, water resources, marine and coastal resources, and geological resources by applying geo-
informatics together with improvement and strict enforcement of relevant laws and regulations; give importance to expediting the declaration of protected forests; determine potential mining areas; tackle coastal erosion, conserve and rehabilitate coral reefs and sea grass; conserve and address the issue of elephants; and preserve cultural heritage.
5.3 Protect and rehabilitate ecologically important conservation areas, including conserve, develop and make sustainable use of bio-diversity to create economic value by giving importance to surveying and setting up databases on biodiversity, local wisdom and culture, and bio-safety; create mechanisms for their utilization and management to enhance the security of food, energy and health, and add economic value at the domestic, national and international levels.
5.4 Put in place preventive measures and develop data and early warning systems against natural disasters such as floods, droughts, haze, forest fires, earthquakes, and climate change; take measures to mitigate the impact of natural disasters and other environmental causes on the public, by promoting community participation.
5.5 Control air pollution, garbage, wastewater, odours, and noise resulting from manufacturing and consumption, in strict accordance with the law, in particular construction of systems for the treatment of wastewater from urban areas and agricultural and industrial production; implement an environment-friendly waste disposal system; increase the capacity of local administrative organizations on waste disposal and wastewater treatment; increase “green space” and reduce air pollution; enhance the efficiency of environmental analysis and impact assessment, bearing in mind the balance between conservation and development.
5.6 Monitor and maintain the quality of water in rivers, canals and drainage ditches, particularly in areas where water quality is critical, e.g., the Chao Phraya River, Tha Chin River and Songkhla Lake, by supporting mechanisms and processes for participation by all sectors, increasing the capacity of local admistration authorities,
promote wastewater treatment at its origin and support small-scale community-level wastewater management.
5.7 Encourage the public and private sectors to research and develop appropriate technologies for energy conservation, natural resource and environmental management, production of bio-degradable materials, recycling, clean technology; implement the “polluter pays” principle to reduce pollution and society’s burden in accordance with good environmental governance; and supplement traditional knowledge with appropriate technology.
5.8 Raise awareness and public conscience on natural resources and the environment through public relations and activities to change consumption and production behaviors to become more environment-friendly, to mitigate the effects of climate change; support volunteer natural resource and environmental protection groups and related networks; give importance to cooperation among agencies and bodies in the public and private sector; and support the observance of international obligations that will lead to enhanced efficiency in natural resource and environmental management.
6. Policy on Science, Technology, Research and Innovation
6.1 Promote the application of scientific and technological research in key fields to the development of the country, namely information and communications technology, biotechnology, materials technology, nanotechnology, as well as future technologies already invested in, such as space technology and alternative energy technology, giving importance to forging links among the private sector, research institutions and universities, and develop enterprise networks that would lead to supplemental research and development and commercial application of knowledge and technology.
6.2 Encourage science-based knowledge and thinking among the public and support innovation from social capital; develop and link the country’s knowledge
management institutions of all levels to become a network for the country’s intellectual capital to support value creation and innovation.
6.3 Expedite the production and development of capable and ethical personnel in science and technology, to lead to the creation of high-value goods and services; develop career paths to retain science and technology personnel within the system; provide facilities that can attract highly-qualified personnel from abroad to generate knowledge transfer to Thai personnel.
6.4 Develop infrastructure for science, technology and innovation of sufficient quality and quantity to meet needs, and support the creation of Thai intellectual property through the development of an efficient intellectual property management system, developing a modern standards certification system, and the creation of an incubation centre for technologically intensive businesses, science parks, and a centre of excellence for important technologies.
6.5 Develop an integrated national research policy and strategy; establish a research network that can be utilized for the development of the country into a knowledge-based economy through basic and applied research; monitor and evaluate the national research policy and strategy; and encourage the private sector to undertake more research and development.
6.6 Standardize research by developing the potential of research agencies and personnel; encourage the setting up of clear career paths for researchers; develop an integrated research database system and process to reduce duplication, by building research learning centers.
7. Foreign Policy and International Economic Policy
7.1 Promote and develop relations with neighbouring countries by expanding economic cooperation in finance, trade and investment, tourism, transport and communications and other areas under sub-regional frameworks to promote good neighbourliness.
7.2 Build unity and promote cooperation among ASEAN member countries to realise the goal of establishing an ASEAN Community, in Thailand’s capacity as ASEAN chairman until the end of 2009; and promote cooperation with other Asian countries under various cooperation frameworks, in particular in the area of finance, which has become an urgent priority after the global financial crisis in 2008, to lead to the beginning of the creation of an Asian financial community.
7.3 Promote good relations and cooperation with all Muslim countries and international organizations so that these countries and organizations have a correct understanding of and support measures to resolve the issue of the southern border provinces.
7.4 Play a constructive role and promote the national interest in international organizations, in particular the United Nations and other regional organizations, in order to maintain peace and security, promote the democratic process, human rights, humanitarianism and sustainable development, as well as cooperate in addressing all facets of transnational problems that affect human security.
7.5 Strengthen cooperation and strategic partnership with countries, groups of countries and international economic organizations that play important roles in world affairs, to enhance confidence in Thailand while developing the immunity and competitiveness of the Thai economy.
7.6 Support people-to-people contact with foreign countries, cultivate a good image and promote technical cooperation with developing countries in order to promote positive attitudes among their publics, governments and the international community towards Thailand and the Thai people.
7.7 Support people-oriented diplomacy, protect the interests of and look after Thai nationals and Thai workers abroad, in particular Thais who work and reside in foreign countries; promote the role and strength of Thai communities abroad in preserving Thai identity and Thainess.
8. Policy on Good Management and Governance
8.1 Efficiency of Administration of State Affairs
8.1.1 Improve public services through innovation and introduction of new technologies to provide various types of services to ease burden of and provide greater facilities to the public.
8.1.2 Develop a timely, efficient, transparent and accountable operational system; promote good governance as a guideline for civil service work, and continuously develop performance of civil servants and government officials at every level in order to build their competence in performing civil service work and delivering public services by emphasizing development of civil servants in positions important to the country’s development strategies, and grooming leadership for change within the civil service, including putting in place measures for performance evaluation and fair results-based remuneration, with a view to boosting work morale and motivation to improve work performance.
8.1.3 Improve quality of life of civil servants and government officials so that they can live in dignity by increasing salaries, remuneration and benefits to suit their work competency and efficiency, including improving welfare and reduction of debt burdens so that civil servants and government officials may have work-life balance.
8.1.4 Reinforce standards of morals, ethics and good governance among civil servants and government officials; develop transparency in the performance of public agencies while strictly preventing and suppressing corruption and malfeasance among civil servants and government officials with a view to ensuring public confidence in the civil service. These will be achieved through civic and community participation, as well as development and implementation of social measures in parallel with enforcement of relevant laws in order to prevent and suppress corruption and malfeasance towards eventual eradication; and support for establishing of social values that uphold honesty and righteousness.
8.1.5 Develop a system and specify measures to attract qualified and capable employees to the civil service by improving the remuneration and incentive
system to be comparable or competitive with the labour market, with a view to making the civil service a desirable employer among job seekers, and supporting mobility of personnel both within the civil service system and between government agencies and other sectors.
8.1.6 Support the work of local administrative bodies so that these bodies become efficient and transparent, and capable of solving problems of local communities and making communities self- reliant, improving people’s quality of life, preserving Thai culture and natural resources, as well as caring for the under-privileged, all of which need to be done in line with local needs by taking into consideration the necessity and suitability according to local potentials, and connecting and integrating tasks with both community plans and the various levels of local plans, forming a vital basis for promoting and strengthening democracy at the local level.
8.1.7 Improve management of the relationships among central, regional and local administrative bodies by speeding up the transfer of functions from central authorities to local administrative bodies in line with the law on planning and procedures for decentralization of power to local administrative bodies; allocating appropriate revenue for each type of locality; enhancing capability of the localities in managing their budget and human resources; and encouraging the localities to be able to rely increasingly on their own revenue.
8.1.8 Support an integrated provincial management by provincial governors, by drawing up an integrated development plan for provinces and provincial groups; setting up development strategies and directions for future development of each area in accordance with government policies for economic and social development, potential of the area and the needs of the people.
8.1.9 Support the community planning process to make it efficient and connected with local administrative bodies’ and provincial development plans with a view to solving community problems.
8.1.10 Promote public participation in the administration of state affairs by allowing the public to take part in the formulation of policies and of economic and social development plans at both national and local levels in order to steer the policies towards implementation in accordance with their objectives; and supporting public participation in having access to information, expressing views, presenting problems, offering solutions and taking part in the decision-making process.
8.2 The Law and Justice
8.2.1 Support the legal undertakings by government authorities in providing comments or verifying the government’s law-making process to be in line with the rule of law; and provide for development of laws in order to bring laws up-to-date, making them suitable for national development and beneficial to the society.
8.2.2 Ensure correct, timely, fair and universal legal practice and enforcement; promote provision of knowledge about laws which affect the public and the business sector; enhance efficiency in the protection of public rights and liberties; and support provision of legal assistance to the public.
8.2.3 Develop and improve laws as well as the criminal and civil judicial processes in accordance with the rule of law, with a view to attaining efficient and effective criminal processes in bringing offenders in convicting wrongdoers in observance of the law, on the basis of strict protection of people’s rights and liberties; develop laws as well as civil and other areas of judicial processes to ensure universal and equitable access to justice and rights and freedom. The establishment of an organisation for law reform and an organisation for reform of the judicial process in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand will be accelerated.
8.2.4 Develop, in parallel with the mainstream judicial process, an alternative judicial process with an efficient and effective system for the administration of justice by promoting the use of a reconciliatory justice system and alternative dispute settlement principles in mediating and reconciling disputes in the entire system,
including proceedings at the community level before entering the judicial system, at the police’s, prosecutors’, and judges’ levels; advocate putting in place a set of generic laws which can systematize and support efficient and integrated judicial work that is able to appropriately protect the rights of every party concerned.
8.2.5 Promote broader public participation in the judicial process by applying the principle of “partnership” between the government and the public under communal judicial principles, in order to enable the citizens to take part in brainstorming, planning, decision-making and carrying out relevant activities in the administration of justice — ranging from crime prevention to dispute mediation and caring for convicts who have completed their terms and reintegrated into the community. The provincial justice office will be assigned as focal point in developing a mechanism, a judicial system, an alternative judicial system, and standard operating procedures with the public, the community judicial center, judicial authorities and local administrative bodies in an integrated manner to efficiently provide for justice to the public.
8.2.6 Develop a variety of systems and practices appropriate for each target group in rehabilitating children or youth and adult offenders in order to provide them with opportunities for self-correction and rehabilitation and capability to become good citizens without repeating the offense, all of which is to be based on the offenders’ entitled rights and freedom.
8.3 Enhance people’s opportunities to receive extensive, correct, fair and timely information from government authorities and other public media.
Mr. President,
The Government is determined to seriously implement the fundamental state policy. The policy statement which I just presented before the National Assembly will guide the Government’s action over the next three years in accordance with the urgency of resolving problems facing the country, and its implementation will be in line with the fundamental state policy as stipulated in Part 5 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand on directive principles of fundamental state policy.
Moreover, in order that the Government will be able to administer state affairs in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand, and achieve its policy objectives set forth, the Government will improve or lay down working methods of government agencies, strengthen the management and administrative system, propose bills and undertake every action pertinent to efficient state administration and achieving objectives in practical terms for the benefit of national development. This is considered part of this Government’s policy on administration of state affairs.
Mr. President,
After presenting this policy statement, the Government will speedily implement its policy by drawing up details of action plans, comprising a national administrative plan, an action plan for each government agency and a legislative enactment plan, to serve as references and guidelines for further work.
The Government is fully committed to the Thai administrative tradition of democratic government with the King as Head of the State. It takes the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand to be a vital foundation for putting in place a national administrative system that will bring about security and enhance democratic principles that are correct and acceptable to the people in the country. However, over the recent period, different views have been put forward regarding the implementation of the present Constitution. Demands have also been made by many sides to amend the Constitution through various methods to achieve political reform that is appropriate and better able to resolve problems facing the country. The Government recognizes that the Constitution should be crafted with public participation throughout the country to
establish appropriate guidelines in conformity with Thai society and reflective of the needs of the people.
In this connection, to ensure that studies and reviews of the Constitution proceed in accordance with democratic principles, the Government supports the political reform process with public participation so that the public in every sector will have the right to choose their representatives to form a Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC). The Government thus supports the amendment of Section 291 of the Constitution in order to allow for the selection of members of the CDC. The CDC will perform independent tasks of listening to opinions from people throughout the country and consider and make recommendations on amendments to the Constitution in order to promote political reform by the people and to have a Constitution that is approved directly by the people.
Mr. President,
The Government reassures the National Assembly, the body charged with overseeing state administration, that the Government will administer the country with integrity, honesty and determination to move the country forward on par with other civilized nations and promote a Thai society that is united, harmonious and proud of being Thai, with firm commitment to the benefit and happiness of all Thai people.
Thank you.
ANNEX A
Section 1 Enactment or revision of laws according to the provisions of
the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand
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1. Draft laws related to the promotion and protection of the exercise of rights and liberties, as follows:
1.1 Draft law on the rights in the judicial process, pursuant to Section 40;
1.2 Draft law on the right to receive guarantees of work safety and welfare, including guarantees to make a living both during and after employment, pursuant to Section 44;
1.3 Draft law on the freedom of expression of individuals and the press, pursuant to Part 7 of Chapter 3 on rights and liberties of Thai people;
1.4 Draft law on the rights and liberties in education, pursuant to Part 8 of Chapter 3 on rights and liberties of Thai people;
1.5 Draft law on the right to public health services and welfare from the State, pursuant to Part 9 of Chapter 3 on rights and liberties of Thai people;
1.6 Draft law on the right to information and petition, pursuant to Part 10 of Chapter 3 on rights and liberties of Thai people, including draft laws on personal data, pursuant to Section 56;
1.7 Draft law on community rights, pursuant to Part 12 of Chapter 3 on rights and liberties of Thai people;
2. Draft law on the establishment of a regulatory organization to allocate transmission frequency and supervise radio and television broadcasting and telecommunications businesses, pursuant to Section 47;
3. Draft law on the establishment of an independent consumer protection organisation, pursuant to Section 61, paragraph two;
4. Draft law on the national education development, pursuant to Section 80;
5. Draft law on the establishment of an organization for reforming the judicial process, pursuant to Section 81 (4);
6. Draft law on the establishment of a farmers’ council, pursuant to Section 84 (8);
7. Draft law on state monetary and fiscal affairs to lay down monetary and fiscal disciplines, pursuant to Section 167, paragraph three;
8. Draft law on procedures for conclusion of treaties with other countries or international organisations, pursuant to Section 190, paragraph five;
9. Draft law on the National Human Rights Commission, pursuant to Section 256;
10. Draft law on plans and steps on devolving authorities to local administrative organizations, draft law on local revenues, draft law on the establishment of local administrative organizations, draft law on local civil servants, and other draft laws, pursuant to Chapter 14 on local administration;
Other than the afore-mentioned laws which the Council of Ministers is obligated to enact or improve, as required by the Constitution, the Council of Ministers will support, move forward and expedite the enactment of other laws to uphold the spirit of the Constitution.
ANNEX A
Section 2 Draft laws that the Council of Ministers deems necessary for the administration of state affairs, pursuant to Section 145 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand
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1. Draft law on the Farmers’ Assistance Fund;
2. Draft law on the protection of people working at home;
3. Draft law on the safety of occupational health and working environment;
4. Draft law on the administration of justice of children and youth;
5. Draft laws related to addressing narcotics drugs problems, namely:
5.1 Draft law amending the Narcotics Prevention and Suppression Act;
5.2 Draft law amending the Narcotics Addict Rehabilitation Act;
5.3 Draft law amending the Act on Measures for the Suppression of Narcotics-Related Offenders;
5.4 Draft law amending the Psychotropic Substances Act
6. Draft law on the promotion and preservation of the quality of national environment.
--Royal thai government--
___________________
Honourable President of the National Assembly,
Pursuant to the Royal Command dated 18 September 2008 appointing me Prime Minister, and the Royal Command dated 24 September 2008 appointing the Council of Ministers, the Council of Ministers — in adherence to the system of parliamentary democracy with the King as Head of State and the fundamental state policy stipulated in Chapter 5 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand — has formulated its policy on the administration of state affairs. The Council of Ministers therefore wishes to present the said policy to this joint session of the National Assembly to apprise the latter of the intent, strategy and policies of the Government, which is committed to fostering unity and harmony in Thai society, thereby leading to mutual cooperation on economic, social and political and administrative development of the country for the benefit and happiness of all Thais.
Mr. President,
Thailand has strong economic and social foundations, abundant food and natural resources, as well as competitive industrial and services sectors. Thailand is also a country where both Thais and foreigners have always lived happily.
The Thai economy grew at a healthy rate of 5.7% in the first half of this year, supported by a still high rate of export expansion, record high prices for agricultural products, and an increasing number of tourists as compared to the previous year. However, the Thai economy has had to face two important negative external factors. The first is the soaring oil price on the global market during the first eight months of this year, resulting in inflation and hardship to the people, particularly those of low income. The second is the crisis in the United States’ financial institutions, one of the most severe
in the past century and which is expected to affect the global and Thai economy. At the initial stage, this crisis is expected to affect the stock market, cause capital outflows and increase risk from exchange rate volatility. In subsequent stages, the crisis could affect Thailand’s exports due to the slowdown of the U.S. economy and other affected economies in the region, such as China and Japan, as well as Europe.
Apart from these external factors, the domestic situation, which is still marked by political conflict, has constrained the effective administration of the country and affected the confidence of consumers, tourists and investors, Thai and foreign alike.
The time has now come for all Thais to turn to one another, think and act together to tackle the problems with a sense of patriotism and the recognition that Thailand belongs to each and every Thai, in order to bring back security, peace and stability, restore confidence among Thais and foreigners, and contribute to sustainable and balanced progress of the nation.
The Government will implement the “116 Days From Mother’s Day to Father’s Day: Building Unity” Project, to spur cohesiveness and solidarity among the Thai people. Towards the end of this year, the Government will look after the cremation ceremony of Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana Krom Luang Naradhivas Rajanagarindra with highest honour accorded to her as intended by all Thai people.
The Government attaches the highest importance to resolving the political conflict in Thai society through moderation. The Government is therefore determined to address this problem by listening to views from all sectors in order to narrow differences of opinion and build common agreement on the approach to solve the problem. The Government will support the judicial process in working independently and serving as a mechanism to settle disputes that have entered the legal process. The Government intends to find a peaceful solution to the problem in keeping with the ethical, caring and forgiving culture which characterizes Thai society.
The Government will expeditiously revitalize the Thai economy by building domestic and foreign investors’ confidence that Thailand is a secure investment destination, a democracy with the King as Head of State and adheres to the rule of law; as well as by creating a favourable investment climate through simplification of rules and
regulations to facilitate businesses and through speedy implementation of the deferred investments in infrastructure necessary for enhancing the competitiveness of the country.
Moreover, the Government will ensure smooth and successful organization of the ASEAN Summit Meeting, which Thailand is due to host, with a view to shoring up confidence among the international community that the situation in Thailand has returned to peace and harmony. As Chairman of ASEAN, Thailand will push for the realization of the ASEAN Charter, lay the groundwork for the region towards becoming a people-centred ASEAN Community, and initiate and promote cooperation towards a future Asian financial community.
In addition to the afore-mentioned priorities, the Government has important missions in laying the foundation for stable and sustainable growth, promote the adjustment of the manufacturing and services sectors toward higher value goods and services, and creating balance, stability and immunity in the national economy. These involve all aspects of the Government’s policy — from development of knowledgeable and ethical human resources, support for long-term savings, promotion of the New Theory of Agriculture in suitable areas, fostering self-reliant communities that are linked step-by-step to the market, promotion of energy stability and security, supervision of capital flows, and enhancement of the country’s ability to utilize and build upon technologies in a manner compatible with Thai traditional wisdom, which will lead to innovation and income generation for the economy in line with the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy, which is the principal approach of the Government in performing its duties in accordance with the fundamental state policy.
Mr. President,
The Government will undertake the administration of state affairs in accordance with the Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy and the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand. This is divided into two phases. The first phase comprises urgent policies to be implemented within the first year of this Government, and the second phase comprises policies to be implemented over the three-year period of the Government’s tenure.
1. Urgent policies to be implemented within the first year
1.1 Engender harmony and reconciliation among people in the country and restore democracy by enhancing common understanding among people in the country to foster cohesiveness and solidarity as well as adherence to the system of democratic government with the King as Head of State; fostering the public’s conscience based on reason and the good of the majority; and seeking constructive, peaceful and conciliatory solutions that respect divergent views, on the basis of the rule of law and the judicial process in order to ensure justice for all.
1.2 Resolve the situation in the Southern Border Provinces by applying His Majesty the King’s approach of “understand, reach, develop” in carrying out the work in safeguarding the security of life and property of the people, promoting good governance including in the administration of justice and fairness, and developing the local economy, including provision of accessible basic public services in congruence with specific local conditions, way of life, culture and popular beliefs of the people; and emphasizing the participation of all sectors and unified management in order to bring about peace, reconciliation and harmony to the area as quickly as possible.
1.3 Enhance development cooperation and promote friendly relations among countries in the region by expeditiously resolving problems along the borders through diplomatic means, and establishing mechanisms for joint development of border areas with neighbouring countries based on the principles of mutual benefit, peaceful co-existence and good neighbourliness in the region;
1.4 Create mechanisms to manage risk generated by the global financial crisis to both short- and long-term capital inflows and outflows, oversee liquidity in domestic financial institutions and capital markets, and support the concerted implementation of financial and fiscal policies in order to stabilize the financial system and capital market and immunize them against global financial volatility.
1.5 Restore confidence among domestic and foreign investors and tourists by creating a favourable investment climate, amending regulations which pose obstacles to investment both domestically and abroad, promoting outstanding and unique image of Thailand, as well as urgently enhancing tourists’ confidence in order to generate income and ensuring Thailand’s continued position as a world-class tourism hub.
1.6 Expedite the country’s major investments in both continued and new projects which are ready to be implemented in order to raise people’s quality of life and increase the country’s competitiveness, taking into account national fiscal discipline, transparency and accountability. Examples of such projects include development of mass transit and suburban rail systems in Bangkok and its vicinities, double-tracked trains, improvement of public bus services, development of renewable energy, enhancement of the capacity of Suvarnabhumi Airport and other major airports, development of water and irrigation management systems, investment in upgrading the entire national educational system, along with establishing professional accreditation institutes, and investment to restructure the health care system toward more health protection and promotion.
1.7 Address problems facing people and entrepreneurs as a consequence of natural disasters, inflation and energy prices by providing financial aid to and creating jobs for those affected by natural disasters, supervising price levels of consumer goods and energy to be appropriate and fair for both consumers and producers, maintain stability of domestic energy prices in spite of volatility in global energy prices; and promoting energy conservation and use of alternative energy.
1.8 Establish a Farmers’ Council and a risk insurance scheme for farmers so that farmers will have the Council as a mechanism through which they can communicate with the Government and work together to empower themselves, have access to capital sources and have a risk insurance scheme to reduce risk from damage caused by natural disasters, ensure price stability for agricultural products vis-?-vis global market volatility, and create fair returns for farmers.
1.9 Improve access to sources of funding for communities through participatory processes with a view to generating career opportunities, nurturing and managing local resources, and supporting local communities. This will be done by expediting the implementation of potential capacity-building projects under the village and urban community funds, ensuring that these projects have good management, promoting their registration as juristic persons, and allocating budgets for all villages and communities, on a continuous basis and in accordance with each village’s population size, to ensure long-term benefits to the communities.
1.10 Support the extension of credit to low-income individuals and small and medium enterprises by continuing the People’s Bank Project to broaden opportunities for low-income individuals to have access to sources of funding, creating funding alternatives and reducing reliance on informal sources of credit, creating new entrepreneurs and extending credit to small and medium enterprises through state financial institutions.
1.11 Improve efficiency in the management of the One Tambon One Product project by enabling communities to have access to new know-how and funding sources, as well as enhancing the management, product standards and marketing capabilities of communities in order to link local products with national and overseas markets, strengthen production networks among communities and engage the private sector in supporting producers of community products.
1.12 Step up the suppression of drug trafficking, influential persons, vice, and temptations that negatively influence young people by supporting the “Thai People Unite to Fight Drugs” operation; intensifying efforts to resolve narcotic drugs problems, reduce the number of drug addicts and prevent vulnerable groups from falling victim to drugs; utilizing local community participation process in conjunction with just implementation of suppression and law enforcement measures; and implementing legal and judicial measures to cut off all channels by which influential persons acquire their ill-gotten gains.
1.13 Expedite improvement of the public health system by improving the quality of services of the health insurance system and expanding access to quality services for all in accordance with the “30 Baht Cures All Project”.
1.14 Expedite management of water resources and increase efficiency of the water distribution system in and outside irrigation zones by rehabilitating and dredging drainage ways, canals and natural sources of water; developing surface and underground water sources; constructing large, medium and small-scale irrigation systems to support the restructuring of the agricultural sector; mitigating the impact of floods and droughts in urban communities and agricultural areas; promoting development of sanitary water supply systems for usage and consumption by people in all areas; developing underground water systems and clean water for schools; and enhancing the efficiency of water distribution by developing various types of irrigation systems including water diversion to increase water reserves.
1.15 Intensify measures and projects to mitigate the impact of and prepare for global warming through rigorous suppression of deforestation, coupled with improvement of the boundary lines of state-owned land, and verification of land rights including in forest lands, and accelerated development and rehabilitation of forest resources, especially management of dams to increase moisture in upstream forests; increasing urban green areas; preparing for floods and drought prevention; cultivating crops in accordance with available water levels; promoting the use of environment-friendly technologies and clean alternative energy in manufacturing and service sectors, including the use of energy from agricultural, household and industry by-products, to reduce greenhouse gases; and building awareness among Thais of all ages and walks of life about their duties to help prevent global warming.
1.16 Develop a master plan for climate change, volatility of energy prices and global food crisis by encouraging all sectors, including government sector, private sector, educational institutions and the public, to participate in the drafting of the master plan which will serve as a guideline for developing systematic and longer-term preparedness for such situation.
Mr. President,
As for the policies to be implemented over the three-year tenure of this Government, the Government will implement the following key policies for the administration of state affairs, as stated in Policies 2 to 8:
2. National Security Policy
2.1 Honour and protect the monarchy, uphold the revered position of His Majesty the King which shall not be violated, promote loyalty towards the monarchy in public consciousness and protect the monarchy from being exploited by certain groups, and create an environment that fosters love, unity and harmony among people of the nation.
2.2 Strengthen the national defence system to be proficient in safeguarding the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity of the state and national interests by modernising weapons and equipment and enhancing preparedness of the armed forces; mobilising the public to participate in the maintenance of national security; and supporting national development and peacekeeping missions within the framework of the United Nations.
2.3 Develop a management system to address the problem of illegal immigrants, illegal alien workers and persons with unclear status; emphasize strict law enforcement against illegal migrant smuggling rings backed by influential persons; ensure justice and prevent problems that may affect peace and stability of the country, in conjunction with addressing the issue of status and rights of persons with unclear status, taking into account the balance between maintaining national security and protecting basic rights.
2.4 Develop and strengthen networks for international cooperation to prevent and address terrorism and transnational crime, and work to develop a system to manage border areas, which will generate economic benefits while also safeguarding security; ensure protection of national maritime interests and remove, in an expeditious manner, conditions that create misunderstandings with neighbouring countries so as to promote good relations and advance economic and security cooperation.
2.5 Reform the intelligence system for maintaining security and enhancing national interests by establishing a system for integrated cooperation among civilian, police and military agencies; and emphasize in-depth economic, social and security data that will truly benefit efforts to prevent and resolve problems facing the nation.
2.6 Develop a national preparedness system by focusing on crisis management to meet increasing challenges posed by both natural and man-made disasters, through mobilisation of all sectors to work together with efficiency to prevent, resolve and mitigate damages caused by disasters and to rehabilitate the country.
3. Social and Quality of Life Policy
3.1 Education Policy
3.1.1 Invest in raising the quality of the entire educational system, including the development of teachers, curricula, instructional media and information technology, with a view to achieving success in terms of quality and knowledge of students in accordance with the educational plans and in line with available resources and surrounding factors, leading to the creation of a system of life-long learning for Thai people, and establishing Thailand as a regional education hub.
3.1.2 Ensure that every Thai citizen has access to no fewer than 12 years of education, free of charge, with particular attention given to the indigent, persons with disabilities or the invalid, persons in distress, as well as persons with autism, children with attention deficit disorder and other disadvantaged individuals; and increase opportunities to continue education through student loan schemes, link this effort with the policy on production of university graduates, which corresponds to the country’s need for knowledgeable and capable personnel, and provide supplementary scholarships for both domestic and overseas education;
3.1.3 Adjust the system for producing and developing teachers with quality and high moral standards, while also ensuring that teachers enjoy good quality of life and appropriate income and welfare; develop and modernise curricula and instructional media in line with global changes; promote studies in Thai language and history in order to instill a sense of Thainess; and expand the role of creative learning systems through organisations such as the Office of Knowledge Management and Development, a modern library system or knowledge parks, the National Discovery Museum Institute, the Thailand Creative and Design Centre, a centre for development of
sports, music and art, and a centre for treatment and development of autistic persons, children with attention deficit disorder and other disadvantaged individuals.
3.1.4 Promote intensive use of information technology to enhance learning efficiency, promote use of remote learning media, provide broad access to high-speed Internet, provide information technology equipment to complement learning and teaching plans in schools, and develop foreign language skills.
3.1.5 Develop quality and standard of institutions for higher education toward excellence in research and innovation, high-level academic and professional services, and workforce production and development that corresponds to structural changes of the manufacturing and services sectors; accelerate the development of high-quality vocational labour force with clear career path to enhance the country’s competitiveness in various sectors such as petrochemicals, software, food, textiles, health and tourism services, and logistics management; provide occupational and professional competence certification; and continue the expansion of the role of the Fix-It Centre at the community level.
3.1.6 Promote and support decentralisation of educational management to district education offices and academic institutions, extensive participation of the private sector in educational management with concrete measures, capacity-building for local administrative bodies to prepare them for the transfer of responsibility in educational management, and adjustment of regulations to enable local administrative bodies to support and manage education up to the required quality and standards.
3.1.7 Support the management mechanism of the entire educational system which covers planning, management, supervision and evaluation systems, in order to make use of collected data in continual adjustment of educational management strategies.
3.2 Labour Policy
3.2.1 Train and develop both people with employment and those whose employment has been terminated, to boost labour productivity and create opportunities for their entry into the manufacturing and services sectors which have a higher level of technology or provide services based on Thai hospitality; provide training for people in both urban and rural areas in accordance with their needs; and promote self-employment to increase incomes and reduce poverty.
3.2.2 Establish an early warning and monitoring system to keep track of situations that may have impact on employment and termination of employment due to structural changes of the manufacturing and services sectors; and provide assistance for swift re-employment.
3.2.3 Provide labour protection in accordance with Thai labour laws which attach importance to the safety and welfare of workers, provide work security guarantee for workers, and put in place a system for more comprehensive protection of the informal workforce.
3.2.4 Promote employment of older persons and persons with disabilities in various forms such as occasional work, temporary work and short-term contract work; and expand work opportunities for older persons with specific professional skills.
3.2.5 Promote skills development for Thai workers and enhance their overseas employment opportunities, as well as ensure that they are treated fairly in the employment process, from the hiring stage onwards as well as while they work abroad.
3.3 Public Health Development Policy
3.3.1 Improve the quality of the universal health insurance system and ensure unobstructed public access to the system; provide for measures to reduce health risk factors and poor diet which lead to chronic illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and traffic accidents; and introduce tax measures on consumption of products harmful to health with a view to inducing personal
behavioural change towards reducing, suspending and giving up health-risk behaviours.
3.3.2 Invest in health services by developing quality of health services in an integrated manner linking all levels, producing and developing doctors and public health personnel, increasing incentives and revising related regulations and laws, and developing an information technology system to make it up-to-date and connected with all related government agencies; promote Thailand as a health service hub by developing the standard of services to the international level, fostering cooperation between the government and private sector, and revising laws to facilitate Thailand’s position as a health service hub.
3.3.3 Implement a proactive disease surveillance, prevention and control system to prevent illness and death from newly emerging and recurring diseases in human beings, while also building surveillance, diagnostic and treatment capacities in a systematic and coordinated manner, with involvement of all relevant sectors.
3.3.4 Increase incentives to support and expand the role of public health volunteers so that they can be key players in their communities in providing care for children, older persons and persons with disabilities, looking after hospital patients, and undertaking disease surveillance and health promotion among people in the communities, thereby reducing the burden on medical care expenses; and link activities of these volunteers with those of local administrative bodies;
3.3.5 Encourage people at all levels to have opportunities to exercise and play sports with a view to promoting good health and well-being, support the organisation of international sports and games, and develop skills of able-bodied athletes and athletes with disabilities toward excellence so that they may bring recognition to the country.
3.4 Policy on Religion, Arts and Culture
3.4.1 Support, protect and nurture Buddhism and other religions so that they play an important role in inculcating people’s understanding and application of religious teachings in promoting virtue, ethics and quality of life.
3.4.2 Revitalise and ensure the preservation and continuation of the value and diversity of Thai arts and culture, including Thai way of life, traditions, virtuous values and local wisdom; conserve historical parks, archaeological sites and museums for educational benefit and use in value creation of products based on knowledge and Thai identity; promote and develop historical and archaeological sites into world heritage sites; and promote more intensively arts and culture for children and youth.
3.4.3 Develop cultural learning and recreational spaces for Thai children and youth so that they have proper learning, make productive use of their spare time, be virtuous and caring towards others, have creative learning about arts as well as appreciate the importance and aesthetic value of arts.
3.4.4 Expand the role and create cooperation networks among cultural councils in every province and development partners from all sectors in order to enable these councils to serve as cultural watchdog mechanisms to monitor lifestyles and all types of media which affect cultural deviancy and influence behaviour of children and youth; eradicate media which are harmful to society; and expand constructive media with a view to building social immunity in a timely manner.
3.5 Policy on Security of Life and Society
3.5.1 Create a life-long learning society with families, communities, religious and academic institutions playing a role in all stages of child development from infancy, so that children will grow up with virtue, life skills, knowledge and morality; instill in children the positive values of Thai culture; support social activities with broad participation; provide public areas for family activities; and create warm and loving family values.
3.5.2 Support the role of communities in promoting participatory processes for local people in order to build community strength by linking this with the role of local administrative bodies in assisting and providing care for older persons, persons with disabilities and the indigent; and organise activities to encourage family participation such as sports, recreational activities and religious activities.
3.5.3 Ensure human security and dignity for children, women, older persons, persons with disabilities and underprivileged individuals by eradicating human trafficking rings, eliminating all forms of discrimination and violation of the rights of children, women and persons with disabilities; promote learning and occupation for women and persons with disabilities so that they become self-reliant; and enhance appropriate social welfare for older persons, persons with disabilities and underprivileged individuals.
3.5.4 Prepare for an aging society on the principle that older persons are valuable assets in the country’s economic and social system by providing income security and savings systems to ensure that income earned during their productive years will be sufficient after their retirement; encourage age-appropriate healthy lifestyles; promote use of the experience and wisdom of older persons in the national development process through a brain trust system; and expand the stipend base to cover older persons without income.
3.5.5 Create liveable urban environments and increase green zones in urban areas, with systematic city planning and strict enforcement of laws related to public safety and the environment; provide appropriate basic services with a quality school in every neighbourhood, efficient modes of communications and transportation, and safety of life and property.
4. Economic Policy
4.1 Macroeconomic Management Policy
4.1.1 Promote the stability and efficiency of financial institutions and capital markets by putting in place and upgrading regulatory standards consistent with changes in financial engineering and innovation; and build immunity against the impact of the global financial crisis.
4.1.2 Support stable economic growth, regulate inflation in line with Thailand’s prevailing economic conditions amidst the volatile global economy with stable monetary and exchange rate policy frameworks which correspond to the economic situation and fundamentals of the country as well as its fiscal policy and capital market.
4.1.3 Maintain fiscal discipline to induce long-term fiscal stability, which include the central budget, off-budget monies, local budgets, and financial status of state enterprises and specialised state financial institutions; reform the country’s entire budgetary system in line with integrated national development; as well as expedite preparation of a good fiscal management law as a supervisory mechanism and practical framework.
4.1.4 Improve the taxation and tax collection systems to make them fair, efficient and sufficient for expenditures in economic and social development in the future.
4.1.5 Encourage a system of long-term savings to ensure that people have adequate savings for old age through proper returns on savings or investments at an acceptable level of risk, and to serve as a pool of savings for the country’s mobilization of funds in the future.
4.1.6 Improve the efficiency of capital markets to be on par with major regional and global markets in terms of governance, price and quality, with attention given to improving incentives to encourage national savings, increasing the roles of capital markets and debt instrument markets as sources of financing for the Government’s large-scale investment projects and as a driving force of the Thai economy and an accessible service provider of financial services, and setting up mechanisms to monitor and regulate capital market development in coordination with money market development as well as to connect with capital markets worldwide.
4.17 Set up a framework for public large-scale investment projects which have appropriate sources of financing and investment formats, with due regard to
the country’s fiscal discipline; and promote the role of the private sector in order to lessen the burden on public investment.
4.1.8 Improve the capacity of state enterprises to function as efficient supporting mechanisms to drive Thailand’s development and investment strategies; establish a revenue base and value for state assets, with efficient management and regulation systems based on good governance, including having a separate ‘social account’, transparency, performance indicators; and accelerate rehabilitation of state enterprises with financial difficulties.
4.2 Economic Restructuring Policy
4.2.1 Agricultural Sector
4.2.1.1 Develop a integrated process of value addition for agricultural goods by expediting efficiency enhancement in the production of key crops in accordance with local conditions; promote research and development on crop strain development; rehabilitate environmental conditions such as soil and water supply; zone farmland to define proper areas for food and energy crop production; enhance production efficiency of energy crops such as oil palm, sugar cane, and cassava to produce alternative energy, and related industries in response to the global food and energy crisis.
4.2.1.2 Enhance fisheries by managing resources and environment; develop aquaculture for both coastal and local inland freshwater fisheries; promote international cooperation on fisheries in international waters and develop the potential of the fishery product industry.
4.2.1.3 Enhance the potential of production and marketing in the livestock sector by developing each stage of the production process to achieve safety and international standards; promote livestock breed development such as cows, buffaloes, swine and others; enhance the potential of surveillance, prevention, and control of livestock diseases; enhance the potential of livestock product inspection and certification, as well as explore new global markets for livestock products.
4.2.1.4 Promote value addition for agricultural goods through processing that meets international quality standards to create links with agro-industry, by supporting research and development on standards for food and agricultural production and food safety; expedite negotiation of agreements on agricultural products and food standards to prevent non-tariff barriers to trade; support the establishment of an effective disease prevention and control system, as well as supporting agricultural processing within communities.
4.2.1.5 Promote the New Theory of agriculture at the community level according to His Majesty’s initiative to provide agricultural households with food security; promote the learning process on organic farming, integrated farming, forest farming, school lunch projects, and livestock banks according to His Majesty’s initiative, with farmers and communities setting their own direction and approach.
4.2.1.6 Restructure agricultural production by establishing agricultural estates and expedite land zoning for efficient and integrated agricultural production and management, with a balance between food and alternative energy production, with the cooperation of all related agencies; increase farmer’s revenues, GDP, improve farmers’ standards of living, and reserve 130 million rai of arable land for sustainable agriculture.
4.2.1.7 Strengthen the entire agricultural sector by enhancing and developing the quality of the new generation of farmers of all ages in production, management, product management, and management of agricultural organization, through innovation, local wisdom and appropriate technology; promote and develop curricular and extra-curricular learning systems to increase the potential of the agriculture sector as a strong foundation of the economy, society and culture.
4.2.2 Industrial Sector
4.2.2.1 Improve the efficiency of the industrial sector, including creating value for industrial products by integrating cooperation among government agencies to promote industrial development and upgrading labour skills and product
standards; develop entrepreneurial management skills, improve the efficiency of machinery and industrial logistics on the basis of cooperation among the public sector, private sector, and educational institutions.
4.2.2.2 Develop and drive industries in which Thailand has high potential and advantage, such as food, steel, automobiles, petrochemicals, energy, electronics, making them regional and global production hubs through the promotion of investment or granting of privileges to high-potential industries, including securing and developing suitable acreage and infrastructure to support industrial development in the next twenty years, bearing in mind the environmental impact and local community participation.
4.2.2.3 Create products of high quality and standards to add value and protect the intellectual property of products produced in Thailand, by supporting skills development in combination with utilization of modern technology, such as fashion goods, jewelry and accessories, as well as using marketing measures and building brand recognition of Thai products to enhance their popularity both domestically and abroad.
4.2.2.4 Create and strengthen small and medium-scale entrepreneurs, including community enterprises, to serve as a production base for the domestic economy, by encouraging cluster formation to enhance product value and competitiveness, through support for knowledge and innovation; and foster good entrepreneurial governance and social responsibility.
4.2.2.5 Promote and expand the role of business incubation centres for entrepreneurs wishing to create high-value products and services by using modern technology custom-designed to make use of the potential of each area; create centres for industrial product development and design; and promote commercial utilization of knowledge and innovation.
4.2.3 Tourism and Services Sector
4.2.3.1 Promote cooperation among all government agencies, local administrative organizations, communities and the private sector in creating economic value and social value from tourism by raising tourism quality and standards to be sustainable, clean, safe, and unique in identity; establish new tourist destinations in areas with the potential to link nature, arts and culture with community way of life, as well as keep tourists safe from crime, fraud and preventable or avoidable accidents, whether from negligence or natural dangers; and give importance to controlling the number of tourists and impact on the environment.
4.2.3.2 Promote tourism linkages with neighboring countries, including tourism packages linking various provinces, along with the promotion of quality tourist markets, Thai and foreign, such as groups of families, retirees, the health-conscious, the MICE market, groups interested in eco-tourism, adventure tourism, local cultures, and historical and archeological sites, with due regard for community participation in the sustainable development of each area.
4.2.3.3 Promote the service sector, particularly small- and medium-size entrepreneurs with potential, in order to expand the operating and marketing base toward the regional level, for example, in healthcare services, international education, logistics for goods and services, information and communications technology, construction, sports and recreation-related businesses, and the business management industry; open new opportunities for the creative industries which would add value for Thai entrepreneurs and businesses, such as the film industry, the MICE industry, the fashion industry, and businesses based on Thai culture and identity, by developing a master plan on the creative industries, giving importance to knowledge development and innovation, strengthening entrepreneurs, business standards, personnel and marketing.
4.2.4 Marketing, Trade and Investment
4.2.4.1 Promote a policy of free and fair competition, prevent monopolization and protect consumers effectively; and reassure business entrepreneurs regarding protection of intellectual property rights.
4.2.4.2 Enhance laws and regulations that promote trade and investment in order to create a favorable investment climate and build confidence among domestic and foreign investors.
4.2.4.3 Undertake proactive marketing to maintain existing markets and acquire new ones in order to reduce the country’s dependence on major export markets by promoting export of goods and services to new markets, namely, China, India, the Middle East, Africa and Eastern Europe, and maintaining share in major export markets, with emphasis on the export of goods and services with high growth in new markets.
4.2.4.4 Develop goods and services that open up new revenue opportunities, such as halal goods and services, which will expand opportunities for export of services, and attract investment and tourism, domestic and foreign.
4.2.4.5 Expand economic linkages for trade benefits under multilateral and bilateral cooperation frameworks and trade arrangements to support economic restructuring, including improving facilities to expand markets in international trade and border trade.
4.2.4.6 Support overseas investment in areas where Thai operators have potential, including investment to set up production factories, contract farming agreements, opening of branches, acquiring representatives and partners in foreign countries to build Thai business networks overseas.
4.3 Policy on Infrastructure, Logistics and Mass Transit Management
4.3.1 Develop and expand quality infrastructure services to all regions extensively and sufficiently, in particular by providing necessary basic public utilities such as clean water, waste disposal, telecommunications services, housing, and dust-free rural roads.
4.3.2 Develop safe and convenient transport systems and link rural, urban and international logistics networks, giving priority to the development of
infrastructure and rail transport services, as part of multimodal transport networks, to reduce the cost of exporting goods and services.
4.3.3 Develop water transport and the merchant marine industry, both domestic and international; develop deep-water ports and sub-regional networks in the South as new gateways to trade, community ports and Thai fleets, to strengthen water transport service capabilities and improve linkage efficiency with other transport systems.
4.3.4 Develop international airports, regional airports and Thailand’s aviation industry for Thailand to become a leading aviation, tourism and air cargo hub in Asia and the world.
4.3.5 Promote the development of transport-related industries to encourage learning and technology transfer in both production and management aspects.
4.3.6 Promote public participation in the development of mega-projects, and seriously implement measures to reduce their impact on the environment and communities.
4.4 Energy Policy
4.4.1 Enhance energy security to ensure sufficient energy for the country’s development and greater energy self-reliance for the people’s well-being by expediting more investment in the domestic exploration and production of energy, enhancing cooperation and relations with neighboring countries on energy, energy investment in foreign countries; supervise and plan the development of electricity generation capacity as appropriate for the country’s economic conditions; and undertake preparatory studies for decisions on the development of alternative energy which utilizes high technology.
4.4.2 Encourage the supervision of energy matters so that domestic energy prices are appropriate and stable amidst the volatility of the global energy
market, in keeping with the economic and investment situation, by determining a fuel price structure that reflects actual market costs and is fair to the public, to stimulate competition and investment in the energy industry, while ensuring that the energy industry maintains high standards of quality, service and safety.
4.4.3 Continuously promote research and development in all forms of alternative energy, by setting it as a national agenda, especially in the area of biofuels such as gasohol and biodiesel, expediting greater use of natural gas in the transportation and industrial sectors, electricity generation from promising domestic renewable energy sources, as well as establishing incentives for the appropriate production and usage of alternative energy by producers and consumers, with balance among food, energy and the environment.
4.4.4 Promote serious and continuous energy conservation through national campaigns for discipline in saving energy, support efficient energy usage by promoting the development of standards in energy-efficient building design, raising efficiency standards for consumer electrical appliances, improving the mass transit system, by developing logistical systems that rely more on electric and rail transport systems to reduce oil dependency, pollution and urban traffic congestion.
4.4.5 Promote development, production, and use of energy concurrently with environmental conservation, by establishing standards for energy production and fuels to reduce their environmental impact; campaign for and encourage the tackling of global warming by promoting Clean Development Mechanisms (CDM).
4.5 Policy on Information Technology
4.5.1 Develop information technology infrastructure, such as extensive and adequate high-speed communications networks, at appropriate, fair and competitive prices, to serve as the main network to support Thailand’s development into a knowledge-based society, reduce the urban-rural divide and enhance national competitiveness.
4.5.2 Develop the software, hardware, and electronic media knowledge service industries; arrange capital support mechanisms for small and medium information technology entrepreneurs; promote human resource development to meet market demand and standards to establish Thailand as a regional center for information and communications technologies.
4.5.3 Promote use of information technology to improve public and private sector management by utilizing electronic systems, linkage of logistics data, early warning systems and national security -- including prevention of access to harmful media by minors -- education and public health services; develop geo-informatics and space technology to improve quality of life and increase national competitiveness; develop a master plan for public sector information technology development, which covers investment in software, hardware, and human resource development; and establishment of networks to enhance connectivity and shared use of data and information technology systems.
5. Policies on Land, Natural Resources, and the Environment
5.1 Conserve soil and forestry by suppressing encroachment and destruction of forests, including by improving the efficiency of equipment, officer morale, imposing strict punitive provisions, preventing the burning of forest and farmland and topsoil destruction; reduce chemical use in agriculture; rehabilitate soil and prevent soil erosion and degradation by planting vetiver grass in accordance with His Majesty’s initiatives; conserve watershed and pristine forest areas; support forestation and forest rehabilitation and community forests in accordance with His Majesty’s initiatives; support cultivation of commercial timber in suitable areas; and build stream check dams in accordance with His Majesty’s initiatives.
5.2 Manage natural resources and the environment with the participation of the public, local communities, local administrative offices and the private sector, particularly at the local level, ensuring balance between utilization, tenure, and conservation of the resource base, land, forest, mangrove forests, wildlife, water resources, marine and coastal resources, and geological resources by applying geo-
informatics together with improvement and strict enforcement of relevant laws and regulations; give importance to expediting the declaration of protected forests; determine potential mining areas; tackle coastal erosion, conserve and rehabilitate coral reefs and sea grass; conserve and address the issue of elephants; and preserve cultural heritage.
5.3 Protect and rehabilitate ecologically important conservation areas, including conserve, develop and make sustainable use of bio-diversity to create economic value by giving importance to surveying and setting up databases on biodiversity, local wisdom and culture, and bio-safety; create mechanisms for their utilization and management to enhance the security of food, energy and health, and add economic value at the domestic, national and international levels.
5.4 Put in place preventive measures and develop data and early warning systems against natural disasters such as floods, droughts, haze, forest fires, earthquakes, and climate change; take measures to mitigate the impact of natural disasters and other environmental causes on the public, by promoting community participation.
5.5 Control air pollution, garbage, wastewater, odours, and noise resulting from manufacturing and consumption, in strict accordance with the law, in particular construction of systems for the treatment of wastewater from urban areas and agricultural and industrial production; implement an environment-friendly waste disposal system; increase the capacity of local administrative organizations on waste disposal and wastewater treatment; increase “green space” and reduce air pollution; enhance the efficiency of environmental analysis and impact assessment, bearing in mind the balance between conservation and development.
5.6 Monitor and maintain the quality of water in rivers, canals and drainage ditches, particularly in areas where water quality is critical, e.g., the Chao Phraya River, Tha Chin River and Songkhla Lake, by supporting mechanisms and processes for participation by all sectors, increasing the capacity of local admistration authorities,
promote wastewater treatment at its origin and support small-scale community-level wastewater management.
5.7 Encourage the public and private sectors to research and develop appropriate technologies for energy conservation, natural resource and environmental management, production of bio-degradable materials, recycling, clean technology; implement the “polluter pays” principle to reduce pollution and society’s burden in accordance with good environmental governance; and supplement traditional knowledge with appropriate technology.
5.8 Raise awareness and public conscience on natural resources and the environment through public relations and activities to change consumption and production behaviors to become more environment-friendly, to mitigate the effects of climate change; support volunteer natural resource and environmental protection groups and related networks; give importance to cooperation among agencies and bodies in the public and private sector; and support the observance of international obligations that will lead to enhanced efficiency in natural resource and environmental management.
6. Policy on Science, Technology, Research and Innovation
6.1 Promote the application of scientific and technological research in key fields to the development of the country, namely information and communications technology, biotechnology, materials technology, nanotechnology, as well as future technologies already invested in, such as space technology and alternative energy technology, giving importance to forging links among the private sector, research institutions and universities, and develop enterprise networks that would lead to supplemental research and development and commercial application of knowledge and technology.
6.2 Encourage science-based knowledge and thinking among the public and support innovation from social capital; develop and link the country’s knowledge
management institutions of all levels to become a network for the country’s intellectual capital to support value creation and innovation.
6.3 Expedite the production and development of capable and ethical personnel in science and technology, to lead to the creation of high-value goods and services; develop career paths to retain science and technology personnel within the system; provide facilities that can attract highly-qualified personnel from abroad to generate knowledge transfer to Thai personnel.
6.4 Develop infrastructure for science, technology and innovation of sufficient quality and quantity to meet needs, and support the creation of Thai intellectual property through the development of an efficient intellectual property management system, developing a modern standards certification system, and the creation of an incubation centre for technologically intensive businesses, science parks, and a centre of excellence for important technologies.
6.5 Develop an integrated national research policy and strategy; establish a research network that can be utilized for the development of the country into a knowledge-based economy through basic and applied research; monitor and evaluate the national research policy and strategy; and encourage the private sector to undertake more research and development.
6.6 Standardize research by developing the potential of research agencies and personnel; encourage the setting up of clear career paths for researchers; develop an integrated research database system and process to reduce duplication, by building research learning centers.
7. Foreign Policy and International Economic Policy
7.1 Promote and develop relations with neighbouring countries by expanding economic cooperation in finance, trade and investment, tourism, transport and communications and other areas under sub-regional frameworks to promote good neighbourliness.
7.2 Build unity and promote cooperation among ASEAN member countries to realise the goal of establishing an ASEAN Community, in Thailand’s capacity as ASEAN chairman until the end of 2009; and promote cooperation with other Asian countries under various cooperation frameworks, in particular in the area of finance, which has become an urgent priority after the global financial crisis in 2008, to lead to the beginning of the creation of an Asian financial community.
7.3 Promote good relations and cooperation with all Muslim countries and international organizations so that these countries and organizations have a correct understanding of and support measures to resolve the issue of the southern border provinces.
7.4 Play a constructive role and promote the national interest in international organizations, in particular the United Nations and other regional organizations, in order to maintain peace and security, promote the democratic process, human rights, humanitarianism and sustainable development, as well as cooperate in addressing all facets of transnational problems that affect human security.
7.5 Strengthen cooperation and strategic partnership with countries, groups of countries and international economic organizations that play important roles in world affairs, to enhance confidence in Thailand while developing the immunity and competitiveness of the Thai economy.
7.6 Support people-to-people contact with foreign countries, cultivate a good image and promote technical cooperation with developing countries in order to promote positive attitudes among their publics, governments and the international community towards Thailand and the Thai people.
7.7 Support people-oriented diplomacy, protect the interests of and look after Thai nationals and Thai workers abroad, in particular Thais who work and reside in foreign countries; promote the role and strength of Thai communities abroad in preserving Thai identity and Thainess.
8. Policy on Good Management and Governance
8.1 Efficiency of Administration of State Affairs
8.1.1 Improve public services through innovation and introduction of new technologies to provide various types of services to ease burden of and provide greater facilities to the public.
8.1.2 Develop a timely, efficient, transparent and accountable operational system; promote good governance as a guideline for civil service work, and continuously develop performance of civil servants and government officials at every level in order to build their competence in performing civil service work and delivering public services by emphasizing development of civil servants in positions important to the country’s development strategies, and grooming leadership for change within the civil service, including putting in place measures for performance evaluation and fair results-based remuneration, with a view to boosting work morale and motivation to improve work performance.
8.1.3 Improve quality of life of civil servants and government officials so that they can live in dignity by increasing salaries, remuneration and benefits to suit their work competency and efficiency, including improving welfare and reduction of debt burdens so that civil servants and government officials may have work-life balance.
8.1.4 Reinforce standards of morals, ethics and good governance among civil servants and government officials; develop transparency in the performance of public agencies while strictly preventing and suppressing corruption and malfeasance among civil servants and government officials with a view to ensuring public confidence in the civil service. These will be achieved through civic and community participation, as well as development and implementation of social measures in parallel with enforcement of relevant laws in order to prevent and suppress corruption and malfeasance towards eventual eradication; and support for establishing of social values that uphold honesty and righteousness.
8.1.5 Develop a system and specify measures to attract qualified and capable employees to the civil service by improving the remuneration and incentive
system to be comparable or competitive with the labour market, with a view to making the civil service a desirable employer among job seekers, and supporting mobility of personnel both within the civil service system and between government agencies and other sectors.
8.1.6 Support the work of local administrative bodies so that these bodies become efficient and transparent, and capable of solving problems of local communities and making communities self- reliant, improving people’s quality of life, preserving Thai culture and natural resources, as well as caring for the under-privileged, all of which need to be done in line with local needs by taking into consideration the necessity and suitability according to local potentials, and connecting and integrating tasks with both community plans and the various levels of local plans, forming a vital basis for promoting and strengthening democracy at the local level.
8.1.7 Improve management of the relationships among central, regional and local administrative bodies by speeding up the transfer of functions from central authorities to local administrative bodies in line with the law on planning and procedures for decentralization of power to local administrative bodies; allocating appropriate revenue for each type of locality; enhancing capability of the localities in managing their budget and human resources; and encouraging the localities to be able to rely increasingly on their own revenue.
8.1.8 Support an integrated provincial management by provincial governors, by drawing up an integrated development plan for provinces and provincial groups; setting up development strategies and directions for future development of each area in accordance with government policies for economic and social development, potential of the area and the needs of the people.
8.1.9 Support the community planning process to make it efficient and connected with local administrative bodies’ and provincial development plans with a view to solving community problems.
8.1.10 Promote public participation in the administration of state affairs by allowing the public to take part in the formulation of policies and of economic and social development plans at both national and local levels in order to steer the policies towards implementation in accordance with their objectives; and supporting public participation in having access to information, expressing views, presenting problems, offering solutions and taking part in the decision-making process.
8.2 The Law and Justice
8.2.1 Support the legal undertakings by government authorities in providing comments or verifying the government’s law-making process to be in line with the rule of law; and provide for development of laws in order to bring laws up-to-date, making them suitable for national development and beneficial to the society.
8.2.2 Ensure correct, timely, fair and universal legal practice and enforcement; promote provision of knowledge about laws which affect the public and the business sector; enhance efficiency in the protection of public rights and liberties; and support provision of legal assistance to the public.
8.2.3 Develop and improve laws as well as the criminal and civil judicial processes in accordance with the rule of law, with a view to attaining efficient and effective criminal processes in bringing offenders in convicting wrongdoers in observance of the law, on the basis of strict protection of people’s rights and liberties; develop laws as well as civil and other areas of judicial processes to ensure universal and equitable access to justice and rights and freedom. The establishment of an organisation for law reform and an organisation for reform of the judicial process in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand will be accelerated.
8.2.4 Develop, in parallel with the mainstream judicial process, an alternative judicial process with an efficient and effective system for the administration of justice by promoting the use of a reconciliatory justice system and alternative dispute settlement principles in mediating and reconciling disputes in the entire system,
including proceedings at the community level before entering the judicial system, at the police’s, prosecutors’, and judges’ levels; advocate putting in place a set of generic laws which can systematize and support efficient and integrated judicial work that is able to appropriately protect the rights of every party concerned.
8.2.5 Promote broader public participation in the judicial process by applying the principle of “partnership” between the government and the public under communal judicial principles, in order to enable the citizens to take part in brainstorming, planning, decision-making and carrying out relevant activities in the administration of justice — ranging from crime prevention to dispute mediation and caring for convicts who have completed their terms and reintegrated into the community. The provincial justice office will be assigned as focal point in developing a mechanism, a judicial system, an alternative judicial system, and standard operating procedures with the public, the community judicial center, judicial authorities and local administrative bodies in an integrated manner to efficiently provide for justice to the public.
8.2.6 Develop a variety of systems and practices appropriate for each target group in rehabilitating children or youth and adult offenders in order to provide them with opportunities for self-correction and rehabilitation and capability to become good citizens without repeating the offense, all of which is to be based on the offenders’ entitled rights and freedom.
8.3 Enhance people’s opportunities to receive extensive, correct, fair and timely information from government authorities and other public media.
Mr. President,
The Government is determined to seriously implement the fundamental state policy. The policy statement which I just presented before the National Assembly will guide the Government’s action over the next three years in accordance with the urgency of resolving problems facing the country, and its implementation will be in line with the fundamental state policy as stipulated in Part 5 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand on directive principles of fundamental state policy.
Moreover, in order that the Government will be able to administer state affairs in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand, and achieve its policy objectives set forth, the Government will improve or lay down working methods of government agencies, strengthen the management and administrative system, propose bills and undertake every action pertinent to efficient state administration and achieving objectives in practical terms for the benefit of national development. This is considered part of this Government’s policy on administration of state affairs.
Mr. President,
After presenting this policy statement, the Government will speedily implement its policy by drawing up details of action plans, comprising a national administrative plan, an action plan for each government agency and a legislative enactment plan, to serve as references and guidelines for further work.
The Government is fully committed to the Thai administrative tradition of democratic government with the King as Head of the State. It takes the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand to be a vital foundation for putting in place a national administrative system that will bring about security and enhance democratic principles that are correct and acceptable to the people in the country. However, over the recent period, different views have been put forward regarding the implementation of the present Constitution. Demands have also been made by many sides to amend the Constitution through various methods to achieve political reform that is appropriate and better able to resolve problems facing the country. The Government recognizes that the Constitution should be crafted with public participation throughout the country to
establish appropriate guidelines in conformity with Thai society and reflective of the needs of the people.
In this connection, to ensure that studies and reviews of the Constitution proceed in accordance with democratic principles, the Government supports the political reform process with public participation so that the public in every sector will have the right to choose their representatives to form a Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC). The Government thus supports the amendment of Section 291 of the Constitution in order to allow for the selection of members of the CDC. The CDC will perform independent tasks of listening to opinions from people throughout the country and consider and make recommendations on amendments to the Constitution in order to promote political reform by the people and to have a Constitution that is approved directly by the people.
Mr. President,
The Government reassures the National Assembly, the body charged with overseeing state administration, that the Government will administer the country with integrity, honesty and determination to move the country forward on par with other civilized nations and promote a Thai society that is united, harmonious and proud of being Thai, with firm commitment to the benefit and happiness of all Thai people.
Thank you.
ANNEX A
Section 1 Enactment or revision of laws according to the provisions of
the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand
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1. Draft laws related to the promotion and protection of the exercise of rights and liberties, as follows:
1.1 Draft law on the rights in the judicial process, pursuant to Section 40;
1.2 Draft law on the right to receive guarantees of work safety and welfare, including guarantees to make a living both during and after employment, pursuant to Section 44;
1.3 Draft law on the freedom of expression of individuals and the press, pursuant to Part 7 of Chapter 3 on rights and liberties of Thai people;
1.4 Draft law on the rights and liberties in education, pursuant to Part 8 of Chapter 3 on rights and liberties of Thai people;
1.5 Draft law on the right to public health services and welfare from the State, pursuant to Part 9 of Chapter 3 on rights and liberties of Thai people;
1.6 Draft law on the right to information and petition, pursuant to Part 10 of Chapter 3 on rights and liberties of Thai people, including draft laws on personal data, pursuant to Section 56;
1.7 Draft law on community rights, pursuant to Part 12 of Chapter 3 on rights and liberties of Thai people;
2. Draft law on the establishment of a regulatory organization to allocate transmission frequency and supervise radio and television broadcasting and telecommunications businesses, pursuant to Section 47;
3. Draft law on the establishment of an independent consumer protection organisation, pursuant to Section 61, paragraph two;
4. Draft law on the national education development, pursuant to Section 80;
5. Draft law on the establishment of an organization for reforming the judicial process, pursuant to Section 81 (4);
6. Draft law on the establishment of a farmers’ council, pursuant to Section 84 (8);
7. Draft law on state monetary and fiscal affairs to lay down monetary and fiscal disciplines, pursuant to Section 167, paragraph three;
8. Draft law on procedures for conclusion of treaties with other countries or international organisations, pursuant to Section 190, paragraph five;
9. Draft law on the National Human Rights Commission, pursuant to Section 256;
10. Draft law on plans and steps on devolving authorities to local administrative organizations, draft law on local revenues, draft law on the establishment of local administrative organizations, draft law on local civil servants, and other draft laws, pursuant to Chapter 14 on local administration;
Other than the afore-mentioned laws which the Council of Ministers is obligated to enact or improve, as required by the Constitution, the Council of Ministers will support, move forward and expedite the enactment of other laws to uphold the spirit of the Constitution.
ANNEX A
Section 2 Draft laws that the Council of Ministers deems necessary for the administration of state affairs, pursuant to Section 145 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand
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1. Draft law on the Farmers’ Assistance Fund;
2. Draft law on the protection of people working at home;
3. Draft law on the safety of occupational health and working environment;
4. Draft law on the administration of justice of children and youth;
5. Draft laws related to addressing narcotics drugs problems, namely:
5.1 Draft law amending the Narcotics Prevention and Suppression Act;
5.2 Draft law amending the Narcotics Addict Rehabilitation Act;
5.3 Draft law amending the Act on Measures for the Suppression of Narcotics-Related Offenders;
5.4 Draft law amending the Psychotropic Substances Act
6. Draft law on the promotion and preservation of the quality of national environment.
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