TU urges government to integrate digital and AI in civil service
Thammasat University's seminar on bureaucratic reform highlights political instability and urges pilot integration in Bangkok and the Interior Ministry.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Thammasat University hosted the Firming Thailand bureaucratic reform seminar on September 4.
- Speakers identified political instability and lack of integration as major obstacles.
- Proposed using the Ministry of Interior or Bangkok as pilot integration models.
On September 4, Thammasat University's Tha Phrachan campus hosted a seminar titled Firming Thailand Bureaucratic Reform at Multipurpose Building 1, organized by Social Asks TU Acts. The event aimed to analyze the direction of bureaucratic reform and propose policy recommendations for ongoing national changes, featuring objectives outlined by Assistant to the Rector for Special Affairs Assoc. Prof. Dr. Athasit Panpakdee alongside several faculty members.
During the panel, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thanatorn Thananthong, head of the Data Innovation and AI Research Unit at Thammasat University's Faculty of Science and Technology, shared insights on the role of technology and governance. He noted that while technology is widely touted as a solution, the root problems remain political instability and a severe lack of integration among government agencies.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thanatorn shared his experience working with the Ministry of Interior, which is traditionally viewed as a senior agency structurally and legally. However, in practice, coordinating cooperation across departments proved difficult without official administrative orders, and agencies typically dispatched junior staff members to represent them.
"The best technology is completely useless if citizens do not use it, and no one cares if it does not address bureaucratic processes."
Regarding digital technology and artificial intelligence, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thanatorn emphasized that technology is secondary to people and processes. The government must establish unified central standards, as various digital state agencies currently operate under disjointed individual plans that hinder comprehensive institutional integration.
Public sector data integration is a cornerstone of digital government transformation. The structural barriers highlighted by academics reflect typical siloed organizational challenges where separate agencies manage isolated datasets. Establishing unified standards is therefore a mandatory first step before artificial intelligence can be effectively deployed for policy analysis.
On the topic of attracting foreign investment, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thanatorn suggested that tax revenue alone carries financial risks and may not single-handedly transform the national economy. Instead, massive foreign direct investment remains critical, with foreign investors heavily weighing political stability and digital infrastructure readiness.
Concluding the seminar, experts recommended launching pilot projects to serve national benchmarks, suggesting that the Ministry of Interior or the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA)—both encompassing extensive networks of schools and hospitals—could act as ideal prototypes for bureaucratic integration and technological adoption.
Source: Matichon Politics
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