Thailand budgets $12 million for Phuket smart city
By GovInsider
Agreements signed with Busan city in South Korea.
The Thai Government allocated THB 430 million (US$12 million) from its 2016 budget to develop Phuket into a smart city.
Part of the fund will be used to build an innovation park for startups, and training for digital entrepreneurs, according to The Bangkok Post.
The country has also signed an agreement with the South Korean Government on the project. The Governor of Phuket signed a letter of intent with the Mayor of Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city.
Busan will share its smart city experience with Phuket starting in April. Academics from the two cities will work together on digital technologies for smart cities. There will also be exchanges between startups from Phuket and Busan, according to Thailand’s Software Industry Promotion Agency.
With the South Korean agreement, Thailand is expecting investment to come in from Busan city, said Information and Communication Technology Minister Uttama Savanayana, according to the Bangkok Post.
As part of the smart city project, Phuket is piloting sensors and analytics to improve transport and help police enforce traffic laws. It is building new operations centre to centrally monitor data and services.