Paetongtarn promotes entertainment complexes and wellness to boost GDP

Paetongtarn highlights Thailand as a food security hub, reveals talks with Google to help develop and enhance the IT workforce for future industries.

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra delivered the opening keynote at the "Go Thailand 2025: Women Run the World" event, celebrating the 45th anniversary of Thansettakij Newspaper, at TRUE ICON HALL, ICONSIAM, on Monday (February 3).

She shared that during her visit to Davos, Switzerland, for this year's World Economic Forum (WEF), she engaged in discussions with leaders from various countries and organizations. One key topic she presented was Thailand’s role as the "Kitchen of the World"—a status that requires no introduction. She emphasized how Thailand can naturally promote this soft power globally with minimal effort. This concept has since been expanded to include food security initiatives.

The Prime Minister mentioned discussions on food preservation and storage in countries facing instability, where food has become scarce. She highlighted Thailand’s ability to contribute to food security by ensuring the rapid delivery of food supplies within a short timeframe. Many countries expressed appreciation and interest in collaborating with Thailand on this initiative.

She emphasized the need to promote innovation so that farmers can adopt new technologies, enabling efficient distribution of raw materials worldwide to support exports. This, in turn, would increase income for Thai farmers.

Additionally, she stressed that farmers must adapt to climate changes by utilizing innovative solutions to enhance resilience and sustainability in agriculture.

Paetongtarn stated that Thailand faces challenges in transforming its cultural assets into economic value. While the country already has numerous tourist destinations, its GDP requires significant stimulation. Existing attractions alone may not be sufficient to drive economic growth.

She emphasized the need to develop man-made tourist attractions, proposing initiatives such as entertainment complexes and wellness tourism, which could significantly boost the country’s GDP beyond its current growth rate.

Additionally, she highlighted the importance of future industries, particularly semiconductors, and stressed the need to attract more investment in this sector to strengthen Thailand’s economic landscape.

"Furthermore, we must consider costs and energy to remain competitive. If our costs are competitive, we won’t be at a disadvantage compared to other countries. Regarding clean energy, we need to figure out how to make our future industries environmentally friendly, avoiding the exacerbation of global warming. We must support the transition to sustainable practices, aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050," she said.

"Human development is also a crucial aspect. Therefore, the One District, One Scholarship (ODOS) policy remains very important. In terms of Google's investment in Thailand, we must ensure they train our people to empower Thai workers, so we don't need to rely on foreign labour for top companies," the Prime Minister added.

Regarding women in the workforce, Thailand ranks third in the world for having the highest number of female CEOs. Women are widely recognized in the private sector, though there are fewer women in the public sector. Currently, the Cabinet has the highest number of women in Thai history, but it is still relatively low compared to other countries. In reality, professional opportunities are not limited by gender or gender identity. If individuals have the vision, ideas, and readiness to contribute to policy development and economic stimulation, collaboration between the public and private sectors is beneficial.

"Regarding same-sex marriage, which was recently introduced in January, as Prime Minister, I am immensely proud to lead a country with such a law. It is a law that promotes equality, and the government is committed to supporting citizens of all genders. This is a matter of great pride for all Thai people," Paetongtarn said.

"I, as a mother, daughter, and wife, have many roles and responsibilities. I am also the one who must strengthen my family and my children. I must understand the world with strength, not in a way that goes against nature. I fully understand that standing here, I have faced a lot of negative comments regarding my appearance, clothing, and looks, but outward appearances are the confidence of each individual. When I teach my children, I want them to know that their worth is in who they are as a person."

"I want every woman to feel confident that their knowledge and skills in their work are the true measure of whether they are giving their best effort. External appearances are just that—they do not define our capabilities. Today, I want to emphasize that our value lies in our abilities and the roles we play in contributing to our country. Thai people have immense potential, and we just need the right opportunities to contribute more to the nation. This is an important issue," the Prime Minister concluded.

(2025/02/03-00:00)