| This dissertation focuses on the development of telecommunications policies in Thailand. The Thai government has, through much of its recent history, been in control of a State-run telecommunications monopoly. Over the past decade, however, successive governments issued new policies geared towards liberalization.;Several factors contributed to the drive towards liberalization. These included the need to modernize the industry, a desire to make Thailand the regional hub for telecommunications in South East Asia, the 1997 economic crisis that lead to an increased need for foreign capital, and international pressures to open the market. In response to these forces, the Thai government introduced a series of master plans and accompanying legislation that resulted in the end of the State-run monopoly and the beginnings of a newly liberalized market.;Liberalization began with the granting of concessions under a Build-Transfer-Operate model with revenue sharing to private enterprises to work in partnership with the major State agencies. Under this model, the State enterprises assumed ownership of all new infrastructure and shared in the revenue of the concessionaires. Over the next few years, the State agencies will be privatized and the market will be opened to free competition. In the interim, concessionaires receive protection from further competition and are using this period to build their business models and market share.;The Thai government will remain an investor in the new market, retaining non-majority ownership of shares in the privatized State agencies. Under existing legislation, a commission is being formed to regulate the industry and discussions are under way as to the terms that will be required to convert concessions to licenses under the new regulatory body.;Thus, the approach to liberalization taken by the Thai government was a conservative one in which it will continue to draw revenue from the industry. In addition, the Thai model limits foreign ownership to minority holdings, thereby ensuring that Thai companies will be protected from foreign domination. How well these policies will serve to position Thailand in the new millennium remains to be seen. |
