Approaching poverty reduction through ICTs

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Approaching poverty reduction through ICTs
APT Seminar on Digital Opportunity for all
ICT the fight against poverty

• Kittipong Tameyapradit
• Vice President
• Telephone Organization of Thailand
• The Dusit Island Resort Chiang Rai, Thailand
• July 29 - August 1, 2002

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Agenda

• Thailand ICT Policy Framework
• Current Information Society Indicators
• Roles of ICT towards Thai Economy
• ThaiTambon.com and Its Success Stories
• Conclusion

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Towards the Knowledge-based and Sustainable
Economy/ Society
Thailand ICT Policy Framework IT 2010
Knowledge Based Economy
Build Human Capital
Promote Innovation
Strengthen Information Infrastructure Industry
Source NECTEC
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National ICT Master PlanICT Development Program
for 2001-2006
Thailand ICT Policy Framework
Society
Economy
e-Industry e-Commerce
e-Government
e-Society e-Education
Science and Technology, RD, Knowledge
Information Development, IT Literacy, IT Human
Resource
Telecommunication Infrastructure
Quantity
Quality
Source NECTEC
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Current Information Society Indicators of Thailand

• Telecommunications (As of May 2002) - Fixed
  telephone line per 100 people 12.47
• 
  (7.86 millions lines)
• - Mobile phone per 100 people
  20.39 (12.85 millions lines)

Source TOT and NECTEC
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Current Information Society Indicators of
Thailand (cont)

• Internet (As of March 2002) - Internet users per
  100 people 5.64- Internet hosts per 10,000
  people 4,854 - Internet domains (.th)
  6,282 domains- Internet Hosts
  (under .th) 78,508 domains-
  Domestic Backbone Bandwidth 761.3
  Mbps- International Bandwidth (inbound) 727.6
  Mbps- Data volume at domestic exchange 1,531
  Gytes/day

Source NECTEC, Thai ISP Club, Thai Network
Information Center, National Bureau of Statistics
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Roles of ICT towards Thai Economy

• Increase economic well-being throughout the
  country
• - Department of Business Economics estimated
  
• that E-commerce transaction in Thailand
  will be
• higher than US 0.5 billion for the year
  2000-2001
• or 0.37 of GDP (GDP of year 2000 US
  134.4)
• Provide higher capital and labor productivity for
  business and industry development
• Narrow the Digital Divide between the
  metropolitan and rural areas, which will result
  in social equity

Source DBE
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One Tambon One Product Program

• Initiated by Thai government to increase income
  for rural villages
• Aimed at encouraging small business development
  and community growth nationwide
• Rural people in every tambon (sub-district) will
  use their knowledge and skill in turning local
  resources into qualified products or services for
  commercial distribution
• The success of the program is promoted by the use
  of ICT through the Tambon Internet Project and
  ThaiTambon.com

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The Tambon Internet Project

• Ministry of Interior supplies computer hardwares,
  softwares, and trains local people to use
  Internet
• SAOs (about 7,000 locations nationwide) provide
  information on products, tourist attractions,
  hotels, restaurants, etc. to be put on the
  ThaiTambon.com
• TOT supports the Internet connections through its
  nationwide IP network
• Private sector has developed ThaiTambon.com
  website
• 1,000 Tambons have been connected in 2001, 3,000
  more in 2002 and all the rest will be completed
  in 2003

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ThaiTambon.com

• A comprehensive database website with necessary
  information from every Tambon
• Information includes Tambon general data,
  transportation system, official people in charge
  of administration, products, tourist spots,
  hotels and restaurants
• Aimed at facilitating the buy and sell procedure
  of rural products and promote tourism down to
  Tambon level
• Also help rural people to exchange information,
  ideas and to improve communication across various
  Tambon

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ThaiTambon.com
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ThaiTambon.com
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ThaiTambon.com

• Current progress
• Numbers of participating SAOs 4,362
  locations
• Numbers of webpages 43,048
  pages
• Number of hits 649,514 persons
• (since June 2000)
• Number of local products 15,115
  items
• in the website
• Selected products for E-commerce 808 items
• Number of tourism spots 6,291
  locations

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ThaiTambon.com
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ThaiTambon.com
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ThaiTambon.com

• Marketing channels - Order by telephone or
  fax to the local
• producers
• - Exhibition The One Tambon One
  Product Exhibition
• in Bangkok during May 24 - June 2, 2002
• could generate total revenue of US 2.84
• millions
• - E-Commerce has been in operation since
• April 2002.
• All products were screened carefully to
• ensure actual market demand.

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ThaiTambon E-Commerce
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ThaiTambon Success Stories

• Increase average monthly income for each
  community or co-operation by about US 240 to
  730
• Local market are expanded to Bangkok and other
  big cities in sales to both retailers and
  wholesalers.
• Expand Thai export to the international market.
• Foreign buyers can access to the website and
  order products.
• A good case study in rural development for
  educational institutes

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Conclusion

• Success in using ICT for reducing poverty
• needs

• - Cooperation between government agencies and
  private sector to take active parts in providing
  information communication infrastructure i.e.
  network, Internet access, hardware, software, web
  contents and etc.
• - Capacity building on Internet usage and skills
  for potential users. Young people who are eager
  in learning new innovation to promote their
  community growth are good participants.
• - Promotion for innovative ideas. These ideas
  should be practical and relevant to community
  needs for long term sustainability.