Open data is a powerful catalyst for positive technological change, plays an important role in bridging inequalities in income, wealth and access to government services, and has a positive role in measuring the impact of development initiatives, establishing benchmarks, and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of public services.。

As a leading digital country in Southeast Asia, Thailand is gradually realizing a true "digital government" and making steady progress towards a "digital country" by increasing openness to a variety of digital technologies and deepening the application of vertical fields.。

Open Data to Build Smart Government

An open data platform is conducive to improving the utilization of government data accounts, thereby ensuring that key issues of national development are fully analyzed and relatively reasonable decisions are made。

According to Puchpong Nodthaisong, Secretary-General of the National Commission for the Digital Economy and Society (NDESC), "Data can facilitate data analysis and decision-making in various disciplines, not limited to scenario analysis for project planning, monitoring and evaluation under national economic and social development goals, etc.。"

Thanks to the increasing integration of technology and government functions, as well as the application of technologies such as cloud computing, Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI) and big data analysis, the Thai smart government market has maintained an upward trend from 2023 to 2024, and is expected to reach a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20 in 2023-2029..5%。

Thailand's Digital Government Development Authority (DGA) aims to improve government efficiency through digital technology, develop online services for the public and various sectors, promote information exchange among government agencies, and strive to build a first-class and sound digital government.。

Since 2015, the Open Government Data Center established by DGA has made significant achievements in promoting open government policies and enhancing public participation.。Since then, the country's government agencies have released more than 11,000 data sets, which have been successfully converted into public resources, increasing efficiency while benefiting the country's digital innovation.。

Going forward, DGA will continue to work with other stakeholders, including academia, the public and private sectors, to expand the reach and impact of open data initiatives.。Through networking partnerships and sharing best practices, Thailand will usher in a more dynamic, sustainable and open data ecosystem。

Digital Technology Strictly Regulates Local Financial Discipline

The Office of the Auditor General of Thailand and the Ministry of Local Administration have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at tightening financial discipline in local government organizations by enhancing administrative transparency and accountability, and aligning with government policies and national digital guidelines.。

The signing of the memorandum marks the cooperation between the Office of the Auditor General of Thailand and the Ministry of Local Administration in the application of digital technology, and is committed to the common goal of promoting good governance, improving the efficiency of local government organizations and strengthening the overall governance system.。

In addition, the partnership reflects the Thai government's commitment to using digital technologies to improve public administration and service delivery.。By encouraging local administrative organizations to register email addresses for the program, the DGA is promoting the adoption of digital tools to streamline operations and enhance accountability.。

Montien Charoenphon, Deputy Administrator of the General Audit Office of Thailand, stressed that the long-term national audit policy of the Office of the Auditor General is based on the Thai Constitution and is consistent with the National Public Administration Development Strategy, which focuses on the development of local government organizations, ensuring transparency of budget expenditures and safeguarding fiscal integrity.。

Anutin Charnvirakul, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior of Thailand, noted that local government organizations have an important role in providing public services and solving regional problems, and the Ministry of Local Administration has always fully supported local organizations in assessing their operations with this fiscal discipline plan and raising the standards for maintaining financial discipline.。

To this end, the National Audit Office of Thailand has developed an application that allows local organizations to conduct financial self-assessments in advance.。It is understood that the program has a friendly interface and can be accessed anywhere and on any device.。The support of the Ministry of Local Administration for the programme further highlights the importance of cooperation among government agencies to achieve common goals, allowing agencies to leverage their expertise and resources to drive meaningful change and improve the quality of public services.。