He said the Thai government had yet to come up with a clear ICT vision and said the support it provided to the sector was in decline, blaming that on changing the ICT minister too often.

"There have been at least five ministers over the past three years," he said.

He said the country's continued lack of ICT research facilities, poor English-language skills of its workforce and a shortage of investment capital for early-stage technology all served to prevent Thailand from being recognised as a top player in the field.

"The country's focus on ICT is too narrow, looking only at the domestic market and not following international best practices, while the industry always waits for government policy. That's not good for the industry's development," he said.

But Thailand does have several strengths. For instance, its location, culture and food attract visitors, and thus there is a potential for enticing foreign talent to live here.

In terms of business benefits, Thailand has a good physical infrastructure and low cost of conducting business, both of which have

been deciding factors in the past for companies establishing regional hubs here.

But the Kingdom still falls behind more tech-aggressive nations. Wiggins said there were still ICT business opportunities to be had, such as business-process outsourcing and call-centre operations.

Partnership with other countries is one strategy Gartner recommends for Thailand. Wiggins said the Kingdom could partner with, say, Indian or Chinese firms to provide Internet-technology services.

"There's a lot that's attractive in Thailand, such as the government's mega-projects and the potential of its animation and mobile-phone applications, which Thai firms do well. Thailand should focus on these areas," said Wiggins.

However, there are some threats, including terrorism, epidemics like bird flu and Sars, and a lack of transparency and shortage of well-trained personnel in the field of ICT.

All these are priority concerns for companies.

Wiggins said it was time Thailand addressed its ICT problems. Although the Kingdom may be behind other countries in the region, it has an opportunity to jump ahead.

It should stop thinking only of the domestic market and instead act locally while thinking globally.

"There are huge opportunities for Thailand, but there's a lot of work to be done. Like conducting more research and development and being more innovative, creating a start-up culture to import talent and resources while pushing the industry to build key foundations for future growth," said Wiggins.

Asina Pornwasin

The Nation