ICT on top of most potential Thai businesses in 2018

BANGKOK, December 13 (TNA) - A latest survey has shown that the information communication technology (ICT) business should be on the top of Thailand's 10 most outstanding businesses in 2018, thanks to the government's Thailand 4.0 Policy and global fast changing technologies. Thanawat Phonvichai, Director of the Center for Economic and Business Forecasting of the Bangkok-based University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) told journalists on December 12 that his center's latest business survey found the ICT service business should be top of the list of 10 most outstanding Thai businesses next year. Thanawat said the survey was based on such criteria as sale volumes, costs, net profit, impacts from risk factors, competitiveness, public demand and national economic conditions. Meanwhile, UTCC Rector Saowanee Thairungroj stated that the latest survey showed the ICT business should be on top of the list with 94.5 scores, from the fourth rank in last year's survey, boosted by not only the global fast changing technologies, but also the initiative on the Internet for all villages as part of the government's Thailand 4.0 Policy. Saowanee revealed that other five most outstanding Thai businesses in 2018 should include the medical service and beauty business, the e-commerce business, the cosmetic business, the transport and logistics business, as well as the petroleum and plastic business. According to the survey, another five most outstanding Thai businesses next year should include the modern trade business, the financial service business and the new-styled food and beverage business, the pharmaceutical and medical equipment business, the educational business and the tourism business, the insurance business and the real estate business, as well as the construction business and the beauty salon business. Saowanee noted that the latest survey also showed 10 most declining Thai businesses next year, including the traditional handicraft business, the mineral manufacturing business, the printing business and the rented books business, the CDs and VCDs production and sale business, the basic telephone service business, the cable television business and the farm produce business, namely rubber, oil palm and rice, as well as the used mobile phones sale business, the traditional trade business and the Internet cafe business. The UTCC rector pointed out that the growing Thai economy and exports, projected at 4.5 per cent year-on-year and 4.3 per cent year-on-year respectively next year in line with the expanding world economy, should be another key factor promoting the Thai ICT business to be on top of the list in 2018. (TNA)