Thai Official Promises More Level Playing Field in Telecom Industry.

Byline: Komsan Tortermvasana

Aug. 5--Private telecom operators will see a fairer competitive environment this year, Information and Communications Technology Minister Surapong Suebwonglee assured the industry yesterday.

He said that although Thailand now lagged behind even East Timor in forming a national telecommunications commission (NTC), the ministry would try its best to work together with the private sector to clarify its roles and promote fairer competition this year.

Speaking at a seminar on strategies for the telecom industry, he said the ministry would try to ease several restrictions that had impeded TOT Corporation and the Communications Authority of Thailand to pave the way for competition.

In any case, he said, everything would be clearer even without the establishment of the NTC by the end of this year.

But Dr Surapong maintained that the ICT ministry would function strictly within its framework and pledged not to interfere in the three areas prohibited by the Frequency Allocation Act: issuing new licences, allocating frequencies, and issuing supplementary licences.

He also said the ministry was working with parties in Finland to form a joint venture to set up a software development centre in Thailand. A framework for co-operation will be submitted to the cabinet this month.