Thailand's development needs to accelerate to ensure the country keeps up with the pace of change, according to the head of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC).
Many development challenges lie ahead, NESDC secretary-general Danucha Pichayanan said yesterday at a seminar held by the council to solicit public opinions on the 13th national economic and social development plan for 2023-2027.
He said the council's goal is for Thailand to become a "developed country" by 2037.
The challenges include transformation into a digital nation, national development on an eco-friendly basis, and the adoption of robotic systems as 20% of Thailand's population is expected to be age 60 or older next year.
Mr Danucha said the country will have to adopt a neutral stance regarding geopolitical conflicts to capitalise on businesses' desire to relocate operations to Thailand.
He said the country will also have to adjust production processes to boost farm output in response to climate change, which is affecting global food production.
Thailand should seek ways to become more self-reliant in terms of energy as it is a net importer and cannot control the price, said Mr Danucha.
He said the country also needs to prepare its public health infrastructure to deal with future pandemics.
The key goals under the 13th national economic and social development plan include increasing the average Thai income to 300,000 baht per year by 2027, from the current level of 270,000 baht.
Another goal is reducing the income gap between the richest 10% and the poorest 40% of the population to less than five times by 2027, from the present gap of six times.
