August 8, 2022 Signing of Memorandum of Cooperation with the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society of the Kingdom of Thailand in the Field of Information, Communication and Digital Technology

On August 5, 2022, Mr. KANEKO Yasushi, Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications, and H.E. Mr. Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn, Minister of Digital Economy and Society of the Kingdom of Thailand (hereinafter referred to as "Minister Chaiwut"), signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan (MIC) and the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society of the Kingdom of Thailand (MDES) in the field of information, communication and digital technology.

1. Background of the MoC

(1) In May 2015, Ms. TAKAICHI Sanae, then Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications, held talks with H.E. Mr. Pornchai Rujiprapa, then Minister of Information and Communication Technology, upon her visit to Thailand. They issued a joint press statement on cooperation in the field of information and communications technology and announced mutual cooperation between Japan and Thailand.

(2) Through the discussions following this joint press statement, MIC and the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society of the Kingdom of Thailand (MDES), which is the successor of the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of information, communication and digital technology on June 7, 2017.

(3) Based on this MoC, Japan and Thailand have held discussions to study an appropriate approach to bilateral cooperation for the new age that reflects the changes in the circumstances in the field of information, communication and digital technology.

(4) The two countries reached an agreement on cooperation in new areas of the field of information, communication and digital technology. On August 5, 2022, Minister Kaneko and Minister Chaiwut signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of information, communication and digital technology, and Mr. YOSHIDA Hiroshi, Vice-Minister for Policy Coordination, and Minister Chaiwut exchanged the original copies of the MoC in Bangkok.

2. Outline of the MoC

MIC and MDES agreed to promote cooperation in the following areas.
Use of information and communications technology and related data in weather observation and disaster mitigation
Sharing of knowledge on innovative technologies and services in the field of information, communication and digital technology
Human resource development in the field of information, communication and digital technology, including cybersecurity
Cooperation based on the memorandum in the postal field signed on August 11, 2021
Most-advanced wireless communication technology, including the implementation and utilization of open and secure 5G and related technology
Promotion of investment in Thailand by Japanese ICT companies
Other areas of information, communication and digital technology agreed between MIC and MDES

3. Future direction

Based on this MoC, MIC will further promote cooperation with MDES in the field of information, communication and digital technology.