Internet Business Governance in Thailand

Abstract

This article had two objectives as follows: 1) to study development and criteria of Internet business governance in Thailand and 2) to study the role of regulatory agencies, problems, and obstacle to development of internet industry in Thailand. This was qualitative study by studying from documents and in-depth interview from regulators, business executives and internet users and then synthesized those data according to the objective and showed the result in a form of description. The study results were as follows: 1) development of industry and creating of criteria of supervising Internet in Thailand was on the foundation that the government needed to develop the country to follow the changed context of the digital technology which was a new important economic foundation in developing the country to new economy, 2) the role of regulatory agencies of internet business in Thailand had the governance format which helped groups with interest so business governance in Thailand would usually create cost in allocating economic rent in allocating such right between the groups with interest between the authority with approving power (Regulator) and license requestor (Operator), 3) problems and obstacle to internet industry development in Thailand including the inconsistent policy of the government to the need of society, low innovation rate from using internet, low use of internet for developing education and public health and internet users in Thailand were afraid to invest despite the fact that the Internet had low beginning business cost. Suggestion: the government should develop infrastructure and broadband service by promoting competition in broadband service business on the foundation of free and fair trade and create opportunity on technology to create network investment and expanding service to be efficient, widely covered, with quality and at suitable price.