Bangkok: Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has unveiled his vision to position Thailand as a hub for green electricity, emphasizing the need for private and foreign investments to achieve this goal due to the government's borrowing limitations.
According to Thai News Agency, Thaksin discussed various strategies to generate income for Thailand and its citizens, including canal dredging and land reclamation. He highlighted the benefits of allowing citizens to engage in soil and sand extraction under regulated conditions, which could lead to a broader and deeper network of waterways, preventing flooding and providing economic opportunities for locals. However, he acknowledged the bureaucratic and legal challenges that currently hinder such initiatives.
Thaksin also touched upon the potential of land reclamation to prevent flooding in areas like Bangkok, citing existing efforts in Map Ta Phut as a starting point. He advocated for clear plans to maximize the utility of newly reclaimed lands, emphasizing that private and foreign investments are crucial as the government approaches its borrowing capacity. Thaksin expressed confidence that many countries are interested in land reclamation projects, which could also lower costs if combined with canal dredging.
In terms of the automotive industry, Thaksin proposed setting excise taxes on imported vehicles that lack local content, despite existing free trade agreements. He argued for the development of a domestic electric car industry, emphasizing the relative simplicity of the technology compared to driverless cars. He suggested redesigning traditional Thai tuk-tuks to be electric, thereby strengthening Thailand's ecosystem for car production and attracting foreign investment.
Thaksin outlined a bold plan to replace oil imports with a massive increase in solar energy production, aiming to generate 40,000 megawatts of electricity. This initiative would require approximately 1.4 million rai of land for solar farms, which he believes is feasible given Thailand's significant land resources. He proposed that Thailand could become a leading supplier of green electricity, attracting data centers that currently lack sufficient green energy sources.
Thaksin envisioned setting up solar farms in Thailand's northeast, directly supplying Bangkok, and offering competitive electricity rates. He compared the potential growth of data centers to the real estate boom, suggesting that Thailand could become a global leader in green electricity by seizing this opportunity and establishing data centers as a key industry.