The government vows to transform Chiang Mai province in northern Thailand into a creative city, modelled after Cardiff in Wales, starting with building creative startups and small communities of entrepreneurs.
Commerce Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong said many Thais are highly creative but are scattered and there is no concrete support to mould their creativity into value-added products and promotion as Thai brands.
"Chiang Mai is the perfect place to be developed into a creative city because it has plenty of creative people and locations, but a creative city needs to be managed by the private sector," Mr Sontirat said. The government is studying suitable privileges for creative communities.
He said the most important thing is to first nurture creative communities before building them a space that is appropriate to attract creative businesses, providing an ecosystem.
Mr Sontirat said the government is opening a space for micro-enterprises that can produce quality and creative products. The government is committed to supporting them via distribution channels and creating a network for them, he said.
There is already a Chiang Mai Creative City initiative, Mr Sontirat noted.
The Chiang Mai Creative City Development Committee was set up by the city's governor and consists of members from the education, private and government sectors. Its objective is to develop a roadmap and strategy for Chiang Mai Creative City, coordinate and share information across stakeholders, govern projects, implement and operate activities and projects, and set up working committees and working teams as required.
The initiative covers creative clusters but also other issues such as urban development, education, innovation and collaboration. Some of the stakeholders will emphasise the IT, software and digital content sector because this is an important growth area and an enabler for other sectors, Mr Sontirat said. Moreover, this sector has high potential for generating spillover effects, creating value-added options and attracting additional investment.
Existing key sectors such as tourism, handicrafts, food/agro-industry and healthcare will also be targeted and can be upgraded using new designs, processes, IT, technological innovation, and creative thinking, Mr Sontirat said.
He said Britain earns £92 billion a year from creative industries, which employ more than 2 million people.
Britain's creative economy has served as a prototype for many countries that want to boost economic growth and provide a clear administration system.
Mr Sontirat, who just finished a study trip on creative economy development in Britain, said Cardiff used to be the main port for coal exports and the iron industry, but the Welsh government closed the steel factories to avoid environmental problems and promoted tourism, creative economy and technology.
The government provided tax incentives to promote the digital and technology sectors to build ecosystems for startups and entrepreneurs.
The incentives included interest-free loans, equity funding, and grants to promote startups and new entrepreneurs in creative businesses. Cardiff University offered creative and digital academics for the initiative.
