MDE replaces ICT Ministry
The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society will be officially established on September 16, replacing the Information and Communications Technology Ministry. The MDE is being set up as part of the government’s “Thailand 4.0” policy. The Royal Gazette announced on September 15 that the MDE would become effective on September 16. All agencies under the ICT Ministry except one will be transferred to the MDE. They are the National Statistical Office, the Meteorological Department, TOT, CAT Telecom, Thailand Post Co, the Electronic Transactions Development Agency, the Software Industry Promotion Agency and the Electronic Government Agency. The exception is the National Disaster Warning Centre, which will move to the Interior Ministry. There will also be a new Digital Economy Committee administrative office, but it still has to wait for the upcoming Digital Economy Act before it can become fully functional. Songporn Komolsuradej, the MDE’s permanent secretary, said the act was expected to be passed by the National Legislative Assembly and become effective around December.