THAI TELECENTRE MOVEMENT - A CASE STUDY OF NORTH EAST THAILAND

COUNTRY FOCUS: THAI TELECENTRE NETWORKThai Telecentre Movement:A Case Study of NorthEast ThailandKamolrat Intaratat Photo Credit: CCDKMDirector, The Research Center of Communica-tion and Development Knowledge Management A family at a telecentre(CCDKM), Thailandemail: [email protected] Background, current situation and Communication Technology (MICT).web: www.ccdkm.org policies As a result, from 2007 to 2009, the MICT established 260 telecentres (20 in 2007,Mohamed Alasow According to UNESCO (2005), the 40 in 2008, and 200 in 2009) of whichInternational Consultant, CCDKM concept of telecentre in Thailand started 82 telecentres are in the North Eastemail: [email protected] during 2001-2002, when the Office of of Thailand, 62 in the North, 46 in theweb: www.ccdkm.org Non-Formal Education Commission South, 44 in the Central and 23 in the implemented a ‘Literacy Development East of Thailand.46 through Computer Software’ project in two villages in Thailand: Ban Samkha of The MICT sponsors the Information Lampang Province and Ban Bomagrood and Communication Technologies of Ratchaburi Province, to develop a (ICTs), training of operators and prototype software package for literacy operational costs for a period of one and post-literacy education, and to help year, after that telecentres are expected the creation of Community Learning to be self-sustainable and operators Centres (CLCs). The CLC initiative are expected to promote people evolved into a telecentre movement in participation, training and enable 2006, and eventually became a national people to become ICT literate. telecentre project in 2007, spearheaded by the Ministry of Information and Though Thailand telecentre initiative is young, yet, MICT’s effort in making w w w. t e l e c e n t r e m a g a z i n e . n e t

the ICT services available across the Progress of north eastcountry has enabled the initiativemature rapidly and has enabled Thailand regionalmany people to join the InformationSociety. As the speed of creating access telecentre movementcontinues at this pace, the issue of accessto ICTs will not be a matter for concern. Out of 300 telecentres inBut, the main difficulty will be ensuringsustainability and proper utilisation of Thailand, 82 telecentresthe services. So, by the 4th year of theThai telecentre’s operation, the MICT as Map Credit: Google Mapsare in the north east region.well as its partners have designed more Photo Credit: CCDKMholistic and collaborative activities The first four telecentresaimed at the sustainability of Thaitelecentres. Some of the outstanding were established in 2007,policies and activities are as follows:supporting more community trainers; 11 telecentres in 2008,strengthening the network all over thecountry as well as at the global level, and 67 telecentres were A training class in progress inside a telecentreaimed at best practices and resource opened in 2009. Some ofsharing, especially among the regionalnetwork centres; creating a support the prototype models fordatabase to help each other as alsodriving the policy matters to this this region are outstanding and could a) Divert the youth and the childrenend; supporting more social networksystems to be used for development and get along well with other regions. Some from playing games at cyber cafés;communication purposes to continueits development services in community models found in the north east areas are b) Create a learning environmente-commerce; creating more systematicThai Telecentre Academy; and creating as follows: through ICTs; andthe Thai Telecentre Fund, etc. c) Attract more people to join the 1) Wat Sakate telecentre: Youth-based temple, as in his view, once people telecentre enroll in the telecentre, they Wat Sakate telecentre, a youth-based will also find time to observe the telecentre was established inside a temple and learn the way of life, temple, located at a strategic location in instead of just going out to people Kaset Wisai district, near the fresh food for preaching. market. Initially, the teenagers avoided the The idea of this telecentre was ICT centre in the temple, but two years based on the personal initiative of the later, in 2006, they started coming temple Abbot (Phra Athikain Wchience regularly to the telecentre and today Phasuko). He started it with his personal they are the managers of the centre. funds in July 2004, to open and support They educate people from all age groups an ICT centre inside the temple. The to use these ICT tools and encourage Abbot’s vision was to: others to join the centre. When the MICT started the telecentre project in 2007, the Abbot became interested. He invited an MICT delegation to visit the temple to observe and decide whether and how to support the ICT centre. The MICT was impressed with their findings and approved the project and the Wat Sakate telecentre was opened on August 2007. The Wat Sakate telecentre is considered as an extra large (XL) centre because it accommodates 21 computers. The centre is open every day from 7 am to 9 pm; the average users per day are 30 people during the week day and about 100 people during the week-ends. Users buy a coupon for 10 Baht (US$0.3) and use the hour as they wish. The majority of the users are below 21 years of age. January - March 2010 47

2) Wat Potikaram: Community-based Potikaram telecentre is considered The telecentre cum home worker-based telecentre an extra-large (XL) centre, because it conducts free basic Wat Potikaram is a community-based accommodates 21 computers. training for the local cum home worker based telecentre, communities, and because the centre accommodates a The centre operates seven days a charges some fee variety of small scale enterprises dealing week from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm and – 100 Baht to cover the in local products, such as silk. The average users are about 30 during the training material and centre promotes business development weekdaysandover100duringweekends. refreshment costs for and also has a local cooperative bank The centre charges 10 Baht (US$0.3) participants coming managed by the community. Wat per hour as service charge, except, for from outside and those Potikaram started its development students working on their assignments requiring advanced activities in 1995, with secretarial skill using the centre as a computer training in ICT. To training. In 1999, they started using laboratory and training is offered free date, the centre has computers, and added dress making of charge. awarded certificates to skills, bee farming, fish farming, rice 50 participants farming, cooperative bank and a shop 3) Khonsawan telecentre: School based to their repertoire of services offered. telecentre they have made advances in building The centre has also a kindergarten Khonsaw telecentre is a school-based social capital and raising the level and a sauna. Like Wat Sakate, the Wat telecentre with a mission ‘to expose of ICT knowledge and skills of their Potikaram is a temple-based telecentre, the school children to ICT knowledge community through basic and advanced but with a business development and skills’. When the MICT started the trainings. The telecentre conducts free background. The centre was opened in telecentre initiative, they submitted basic training for the local communities, August 2008. a request to them. On approval, they and charges some fee – 100 Baht to cover started the centre in August 2008. the training material and refreshment Though the main customers of the The telecentre manages and sustains costs for participants coming from centre are the local enterprises, they itself through the use of the school outside and those requiring advanced also encourage youth through their infrastructure and does not have training in ICT. To date, the centre has schools and adults from all walks of any plan of introducing user fee. awarded certificates to 50 participants, life, as well as out of school youth. They The management believes that the who attended three days advanced provide weekly training on computer telecentre should serve the people since ICT training, and also trained over 200 and Internet use and they also invite the centre is situated in an institution community members for free in basic external trainers to train users and that offers free education. The ICT skills. staff on website development. The Wat telecentre management believes that Khonsawan telecentre is consideredPhoto Credit: CCDKM a small (S) centre on the MICT scale, and is open seven days a week and Students learning computer operates for nine hours a week – Monday through Friday (4 pm to 5 pm), and Saturday and Sunday (8 am to 12 noon). Average number of users are about 15 per day on weekdays and on weekends, there are about 60 users. On weekdays, users are students and they come to the centre soon after school hours. Unlike the weekdays, during 48 w w w . t e l e c e n t r e m a g a z i n e . n e t

Thailand ICT infrastructure and Use (2008) since they have allocated budget for telecentre operation and it is situated in1 Name Kingdom of Thailand a central location. Its main weaknesses are: a) there are no permanent staff2 Area 513,120 sq km specifically assigned to the centre and b) no land line telecom connection in3 Capital Bangkok the area; the nearest connection being about 10 km away. This makes the4 Population 67.39 million telecentre rely on expensive wireless connection with antenna, costing them5 GDP, Total (B US$) 245.35 6,000 Baht (US$ 180 a month), thereby diverting more funds from the telecentre6 Main (fixed) telephone lines 7024.0 (000s) towards meeting these expenses. In case of a breakdown of the wireless7 Main (fixed) telephones line per 100 inhabitants 10.42 system, the management has to call the company and wait for a technician for8 Mobile Cellular subscriptions 62000.0 (000s) about 24-48 hours, without service.9 Ratio of Mobile Cellular subscriptions to fixed telephone lines 8.8:110 Internet subscribers Not available11 Internet users 16100.0 (000s)12 Internet users per 100 inhabitants 23.8913 Broadband subscribers 950.0 (000s)14 Broadband subscribers per 100 inhabitants 1.41Source: International Telecommunication Union, Country Data by Region (2008),Accessed on 27 March 2010, available at http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ICTEYE/Indicators/Indicators.aspx#weekends its the secondary school a phenomenon that has reduced the Challengesstudents, government employed, and number of people availing the centre’sother community members who visit training course. Taking cognizance of Looking at the ongoing developmentsthe centre. The Khonsawan school, this development, the management is in the telecentre projects running in thewhich was established 86 years ago, has thinking about introducing advanced NorthEast:WatSakateandWatPotikaramover 250 students (ranging from grade courses in ICT for the community. in Roi et Province as well as, Khonsawanone to nine), and aims to bring more and Ta-ong in Surin Province, it can beparents on board to make them ICT Based on our observation, most users said that these telecentres have madeliterate. The centre employed a variety of are teenagers, a majority of them being some very important breakthroughsstrategies to promote its services among boys; the age range of the users according towards encouraging people to visit thethe community including community to the register indicates the prominence telecentres and to use the ICT services.radio broadcasts in the initial stage, of 13-18 age group. Nevertheless,interpersonal communication, peer the management informed that the Though each telecentre, has its ownpressure, and encouraging students students (from primary and secondary unique strengths, the main weaknessesto bring their parents, parents to bring schools) constituted about 60% and are: lack of holistic and continuoustheir neighbours and neighbours the rest 40% are community members, support, especially that of managing theto bring other neighbours. Though government staff, handicapped and tailor-madeactivities/interventionsthatstudents seem happy with the prospect illiterate children. Ta-ong telecentre the telecentres need to make. Awarenessand are encouraged to pressurise their is an extra large centre with 21 creation among the community is alsoparents to learn ICT, yet, some students computers; the average users per day something that needs to be looked into.complain that they experience parents’ are about 40; each at least using two Another question is, how to integrateresistance to ICT after their first hours per day, free of charge. The these ICT tools into the lifestyle of theexposure. centre is open 56 hours a week, almost community in ways that enable the every day including weekends from adult population and the local business4) Ta-ong telecentre: Local 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. To promote the to derive benefits from the servicesadministrative office-based telecentre telecentre, the management contacted offered by these telecentres. Once theseTa-ong community telecentre is situated non-formal schools to promote it issues are sorted out, the telecentres willin the local administrative office, thus, among the students. They also used be free to create customised solutionsqualifies as a local administration based community radio and the community and services for the community theytelecentre. The centre was opened on July announcement centres for generating serve which will, in turn, enable the2008 and has trained over 100 people. awareness within the community. community to derive more benefitsOf late, the management has noticed from them and become more involvedthat users are learning from each other; The main strength of the centre lies with the telecentres. Currently, all these in its strong leadership. They believe challenges could be reflected as a whole that they are able to be self sustainable for the Thai telecentre movement. ‰ January - March 2010 49