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Thailand’s media sector has seen liberalisation on paper, with the passage of several laws to increase press freedom and competition. At the same time, a March 2012 decision to renew state agencies’ control of broadcast frequencies, and the restrictive 2007 Computer Crimes Act, suggest that media freedom in Thailand has a long way to go. Regardless, the sector is growing on the strength of terrestrial free-to-air television, which has very strong viewership thanks to its popular soap operas. Cable and satellite operators are beginning to add diversity to the sector, and growing computer and smartphone penetration is opening the mobile market, but TV is still by far the medium to beat. This chapter contains an interview with Supakorn Vajjajiva, President, The Post Publishing Public Company.

Economic growth, government price support for agricultural commodities, and stimulus programmes have all contributed to robust retail growth over the past several years. Modern hypermarkets such as Tesco Lotus and Big C continue to dominate the sector, although popular criticisms of their hegemony have prompted a Retail Act that if passed would restrict their expansion. The mall sector is contested primarily by two large groups, CPN and the Mall Group, although newcomer Siam Future is threatening to upset this balance. For all segments of retail, however, the upcountry provinces hold the potential for the most future growth. This chapter contains an interview with John Christie, CEO, Ek-Chai Distribution System (Tesco Lotus).

With one in every three Thais making their living in the sector, agriculture is key to the country’s social makeup, even if its importance to the formal economy has diminished. The growth of industry has helped transform agriculture, and agro-manufacturing exports like processed sugars and cereals, and canned fish and fruit are multibillion dollar industries. Rice is the traditional staple, but a legacy of subsidies has distorted costs and harmed the export competiveness of Thai rice. Meanwhile, high prices over the past several years have tripled the value of Thai rubber exports, by far the most lucrative crop. The government is pushing to expand the acreage devoted to rubber plantations.

The education system will need serious improvement if it is to break out of the classic “middle-income trap”. Reforms on the table call for a move to learner-centred teaching and greater use of IT in the classroom, including a “One Tablet Per Child” programme. Neither will be a panacea; observers cite a chronic disregard of secondary education in favour of funding the primary and tertiary sectors. In the health sector, a decade-old universal coverage scheme is the bedrock of government policy. But several aspects of the system are ripe for reform, including an expensive fee-for-service model covering civil servants, and a government monopoly on a passel of pharmaceutical drugs. This section features interviews with Reverend Brother Bancha Saenghiran, Rector, Assumption University; and Prasert Prasarttong-Osoth, President, Bangkok Dusit Medical Services (BDMS).

Thailand, already a tourism powerhouse, is expected to see a 6.4% annual growth of tourism’s contribution to GDP through 2020, outpacing the world average. The country will benefit from the economic development of nearby China and India, where outbound tourism is exploding. Thailand’s hope for the medium-term is to boost per-visitor revenue, encouraging luxury tourism without damaging its reputation as a value destination. It is also looking to expand its repertoire beyond the traditional offerings of beaches and temples. There are plans in the works for a Cartoon Network theme park and proposals for an ASEAN family theme park. In the sports arena, golf is an increasingly popular draw for foreign tourists, and there are plans for a Formula 1 circuit.

Thailand lags behind its peers in several measures of connectivity and IT-readiness, although this may change in the near-term. A 3G spectrum auction is scheduled for the third quarter of 2012 after years of delay that saw neighbours adopt the standard widely and even implement 4G. Reforms to the state-owned enterprises that control the infrastructure – TOT and CAT – are being considered, which could enhance competition and lower prices. On the IT front, hardware sales dominate the market, with relatively strong growth in computer sales, albeit from a low base. Smartphones and tablets are expected to attract a disproportionate share of the hardware market, especially given the government’s plan to give tablets to schoolchildren. This section features interviews with Anudith Nakornthap, Minister of Information and Communication Technology; Thares Punsri, Chairman, National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC); Jon Eddy Abdullah, CEO, Total Access Communication (DTAC); Suphachai Chearavanont, President & CEO, True Corporation; and Wichian Mektrakarn, CEO, Advanced Info Service (AIS).