Dhanin confirmed that the Thai economy still has potential to grow despite global challenges like geopolitics, climate change and rapid digital transformation.
There are opportunities amid crises, as Thailand has the advantage of being a strategic location for tourism, food production and convenience transportation, he said.
He backed the government’s visa-free policy for tourists, which generates tourism revenue for the country. However, he advised the government to allocate a budget to boost confidence among tourists over safety.
Apart from drought and floods, he pointed out that Thailand had never faced a severe earthquake and typhoon. He advised the government to work on land reforms and water irrigation development.
“Thailand can escape drought and flood if the country has good irrigation,” he said, adding that it would help boost agricultural production by five times.
Horticultural crops could be grown in highlands, lowlands could be turned into ponds for selling water and electricity, and areas around the pond could be used for living and tourism, he explained.
He urged the government to develop crop and livestock species to tolerate heat, using high quality and safe fertilisers, and adopt technology in the agriculture supply chain.
“Agricultural products are crude oil on the land, which are valuable assets that generate 90% of Thai people’s income,” he said, adding that Thailand should adopt technology and produce skilled workers to further boost the potential of the agriculture sector.