Leaders make dive into political scrum

A wave of tech pioneers have jumped into politics as political parties look to leverage their technology policies to woo voters in the upcoming election.

- SUCHIT LEESA-NGUANSUK

The trend reflects a broader generational shift, with Thailand’s tech community increasingly stepping into the political arena to influence the national digital economy strategy.

"This is the time to embrace technology to transform the country. I plan to work more closely with this political party, guided by shared ideological goals," e-commerce pioneer Pawoot Pongvitayapanu, a party-list House of Representatives candidate of the People’s Party, told the Bangkok Post.

Mr Pawoot is chief executive of EfraStructure Group, a holding company for tech startups, and a board member of various government agencies.

He said every government agency must move towards full digitalisation, while laws and regulations must be updated to support competition in digital commerce. Mr Pawoot said key policy areas include digital transformation, big data, space technology, digital ecosystems, quantum technology and national digital infrastructure.

"An open commerce network will be one of the key projects to build a national digital trade infrastructure to reduce monopolies and empower opportunities for local small and medium-sized enterprises [SMEs]," he said.

Mr Pawoot stressed the importance of collaboration among industry associations, government agencies and the private sector. While the government should act as a supporter, he said the private sector must take the lead.

Public-private partnerships are needed for continuous engagement with various agencies and stakeholders, said Mr Pawoot.