Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand has embarked onan ambitious goal of setting up 1,500 digital classrooms for schools of allsizes across the nation to nurtureꦯ at least 100,000 talents annually.

The Digital Economy and Society (DES) Ministry hassaid that these classrooms will be equipped with essential tools, such ascomputers and software designed to teach coding skills to students. DES Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong highlightedthe project’s significance, titled “Coding for Better Life: Building theFoundation for Thailand’s Future”. He said the initiative’s role in cultivatingthe country’s digital talent will serve as a crucial factor for Thailand’sdominance in the digital economy era. Citing a recent study, the minister noted thatThailand currently demands an annual average of 100,000 digital talents, whilethe education sector only produces around 25,000 such individuals each year. The short-term plan, he said, involves proposing theimplementation of the Global Digital Talent Visa and introducing a uniquecategory for short-term residents with exceptional digital abilities. TheCabinet is currently reviewing this proposal. For the long-term strategy, the Digital EconomyPromotion Agency (Depa) is actively promoting digital knowledge and skillsdevelopment for all segments of the Thai population, with coding classroomsplaying a crucial role. Nuttapon Nimmanpatcharin, president cum CEO of Depa,said under the “Coding for Better Life” programme, specialised courses onprogramming languages will be taught to students. While the scheme will help in the development ofcoding infrastructure and related digital ecosystems to improve learningreadiness, Nuttapon noted that at least 3,000 teachers will also be coached on20 teaching skills courses involving the development of coding at three levels– basic, intermediate and advanced. Approximately 700 schoolshave already applied to the programme, with Depa expecting to achieve itstarget of 1,500 schools in the first quarter of next year./.