In a bid to make smart city project development go smoothly, the government has integrated three pillars of infrastructure development: digital infrastructure, transport and energy.
That effort will be undertaken by the newly appointed National Smart City Committee, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Prajin Juntong.
The committee comprises 20 members, including three ministers from the Digital Economy and Society, Energy, and Transport ministries, as well as permanent secretaries from 10 ministries.
Nattapon Nimmanpatcharin, president of the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (Depa) and a joint secretary of the committee, said the smart city project focus needs clearer objectives and a road map with more specific areas.
Depa is the primary agency tasked with initiating the project under the government's digital economy roadmap, providing high-speed internet infrastructure and free WiFi for smart city development.
The first phase of the project was implemented in Phuket in 2016, followed by Chiang Mai and Khon Kaen last year.
The government plans to start the second phase in three provinces -- Rayong, Chon Buri and Chachoengsao -- this year, paving the way for them to become smart cities in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC).
The development of the three provinces is a core part of serving the government's efforts to promote S-curve industries in the EEC, which spans three eastern provinces: Rayong, Chon Buri and Chachoengsao.
S-curve industries include robotics, aircraft, digital business, biofuels and biochemical.
To ensure better efficiency, the project needs greater collaboration across agencies, especially the Transport and Energy ministries, Mr Nattapon said.
"Collaboration through the National Smart City Committee will be more practical for the project, without slowing it down," he said.
The committee has an action plan to develop smart cities across five categories: creation of a smart city development master plan, building ecosystems for smart city development, developing mechanisms for public-private partnership, creating a city data platform and promoting innovative solutions.
Mr Nattapon said the five categories will generate six outcomes for the ecosystem: smart mobility, smart energy and environment, smart economy, smart living, smart people and smart governance.
"The committee aims to turn the seven cities into real smart cities under its strategic plan by 2023, subsequently creating a master model to expand the project to other provinces in future," he said.
Depa also plans to initiate smart city development this year in Phitsanulok, Songkhla and Ubon Ratchathani.
In a related development, the government, through Depa, wants to increase the number of active digital startups in the country to 10,000 firms by 2027, up from 2,000 at present.
Depa will inject 100 million baht to develop idea-stage startups, with the goal of facilitating 20 active startups this year.
