Phuket Set To Be Thailand’s First Smart City – Setting Up a Digital Hub

Part of the digital economic policy put forward by the Thai government, Phuket has been chosen to be involved in a pilot project in 2016 that will see the island become the country’s first “smart city.” The project is expected to increase tourism development as well as investment pertaining to digital-related projects. The island is in fact a major tourist hub with many Phuket luxury hotels present including such well known names as Anantara Layan Phuket Resort. This new project will be implemented by the Software Industry Promotion Agency (SIPA) under the auspices of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) ministry. While 100 million Baht has been allocated for a special data centre on the island along with improving digital infrastructure, this new initiative will be conducted with support and partnership with the Science, ICT and Future Planning Ministry of South Korea. Following the project in Phuket, Chiang Mai is also expected to likewise become a smart city in 2017.