Thailand Telecom Investment Environment Report, 2009

In recent years, to boost the development of telecommunications industry as well as national economy, the Thailand Government has carried out a series of reforms in its telecom market system. By pushing the reform of telecom operators, privatization in this regard has been achieved in a successive way. Meanwhile, reforms in market access system make it available for more small- and medium-sized enterprises to participate in the market competition. According to the Basic Telecommunication Agreement of WTO reached in 1997, Thailand would gradually open the telecommunications market including basic telecom business and value-added services, in which the access of foreign capital is welcomed.

Along with the government’s beefed-up efforts to open telecommunication market, the huge potential and rapid development of Thailand telecommunications industry is also quite a magnet to foreign investors. A case in point is mobile phone market: the penetration rate of mobile phone was only 13% in Thailand in 2001; however, by the end of 2007, it jumped up to 80% and remained the growth momentum. The development of mobile phone industry results from the introduction of competition mechanism as well as lower mobile phone charges and the cancellation of other restrictions. In 2008, Thailand cell phone market continued rapid expansion, with mobile phone subscribers 57.3 million and cell phone penetration rate at 87.4%.

The report is based on the authoritative statistics by Thailand National Statistical Office and National Telecommunication Commission of Thailand (NTC). The report provides substantive and rich data focusing on macro-environment such as national politics, economy and law of Thailand, Thai regulatory policies on telecommunications market access and competition environment. Also, in-depth analysis and research has been conducted based on the data, in a bid to discuss the opportunities and risks for foreign enterprise to enter into Thailand telecommunications market.