Transition toward Thailand 4.0 through the sufficiency economy philosophy
Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has stressed the need to provide people with a better understanding about future development and the quality of growth in transition toward "Thailand 4.0” through the Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy.
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In his address on the program "From the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy to Sustainable Development Goals” on 28 October 2016, the Prime Minister said that the Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy, initiated by the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, would lead to sustainability. However, one of the most important tasks involves human resource development.
In the first stage, he said, Thailand must build strength from within and then connect with the world economy, ready to cope with global changes. By so doing, he said, people must start with promoting self-reliance and grouping for awareness and more knowledge.
The Prime Minister said that, despite the passing of His Majesty the King, the Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy that he bestowed to the people over 40 years ago would always remain. Thai people would continue to adopt this philosophy as a guideline for developing themselves and their families, so that they could build resilience to enable them to lead their lives with happiness and stability.
With this philosophy, he said, His Majesty wanted his subjects from all walks of life to be "good citizens” and to uphold morality, honesty, and discipline. His Majesty wanted the people to unite and join forces in national development for further progress and the stability of the country.
As for the Thailand 4.0 policy, the Prime Minister stated that it would become a mechanism for national reform to pull Thailand out of the middle-income trap, economic disparities, and the imbalance between the environment and society. This development model will move toward the goals of stability, prosperity, and sustainability.
He explained that three new "engines of growth” would be introduced. The first engine seeks to create stability based on the concept of "explosion from within.” The second engine aims to bring about prosperity by enhancing potential for competitiveness. The third one seeks to promote sustainability by creating equilibrium in social and economic development, taking into consideration the concept of "Green Growth and Sustainable Development.”
The Prime Minister said that the Government had adopted the Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy as a guideline for working out its 20-year national strategy and the 12th National Economic and Social Development Plan, 2017-2021. The objective is to translate this philosophy into action for concrete sustainable development.
