Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Monday emphasised the importance of strengthening the country’s resilience from within to ensure steady advancement amid rapidly changing geopolitical and technological contexts.
The statement was delivered during a symposium organised for the 68th class of the National Defence Course (NDC), held on Monday under the theme “Resilient Thailand”.
Mr Anutin said in his speech that Thailand must not only survive amid changing global trends, such as geopolitics, trade, artificial intelligence (AI), and demographic shifts, but also strive for stronger, sustainable development in the global context.
Mr Anutin then proposed the government’s three main focuses in enhancing internal resilience: economic upgrade, state agency reform, and human resource development.
The government aims to create new economic engines while strengthening existing ones by promoting future industries, including digital technology, AI, semiconductors, advanced electronics, future automotive, clean energy, biotechnology, food, and medicine, the prime minister said.
He said civil service reform is not just about reducing the number of civil servants, but about changing mindsets, working methods, and the government’s role. This involves using technology to streamline processes and reduce the burden on citizens.
On human resource development, Mr Anutin said Thais must keep pace with technology, not just as workers in large-scale investment projects, but to become engineers, system developers, entrepreneurs, and capable of leveraging new infrastructure to create businesses and contribute to Thailand’s higher income, and upskilling and reskilling initiatives must continue.
Mr Anutin also touched on Thailand’s defence, saying national security is no less important than economic prosperity.
He said the government has a duty to ensure the safety of its citizens, and that Thailand must be prepared to respond to any further aggression or incidents.
He affirmed that the government and the military’s defence actions over the past period have been necessary and appropriate to the situation, and that maintaining this readiness is essential because diplomatic relations have not yet returned to normal.
While the country must remain prepared in terms of security, citizens and the private sector can continue their lives and economic activities as usual, including investment, business expansion, and national development planning. Thailand must balance responding to threats with advancing the economy, he said.
Mr Anutin also said developing the domestic defence industry would earn respect from other nations and help deter potential threats. He said it is important to build confidence, especially among those living in seven provinces along the Thai-Cambodian border.
“This is what I want to emphasise to everyone to reassure them that Thailand today is ready to move forward with ‘Resilience Thailand’ with a stable and strong driving force. Even cracks can be mended with stability,” he said.