Title: Thailand at the crossroads

Authors: L. Jean Camp, Fu-Shoun Mao, Mridul Chowdhury

Addresses: Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. ' Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. ' Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA

Abstract: Thailand combines a strong manufacturing infrastructure with a weak telecommunications infrastructure, offering promise or pitfall in the age of the information market. Thailand is lagging behind with respect to its peers in terms of information and communications technologies, especially with regard to teledensity and telecommunications regulation. Thailand may use its manufacturing edge as information and communications becomes necessary to compete. Conversely, Thailand has the opportunity to leap ahead, leverage its manufacturing base and increase its capacities without increasing its exposure to increasingly fluid global capital markets. Such a leap requires a carefully crafted policy for competition and interconnection, and supporting free software to an educated populace.

Keywords: Thailand; telecommunications; ownership; regulation; open source; ICT.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTPM.2004.004816

International Journal of Technology, Policy and Management, 2004 Vol.4 No.2, pp.116 - 135

Published online: 07 Jul 2004 *

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