Policy Announcement*
Mr. President,
Distinguished Members,
Persuant
to His Majesty the King's gracious appointment of myself as Prime Minister,
per Royal Command dated 12 May 1979, and the subsequent appointment of
the Council of Ministers, per Royal Command dated 24 May 1979.
The
Council of Ministers has now formulated the policies, as for the state
administration, either short or long-term, in accordance with the current
situation and future trend, public need or aspiration, national efficiency
and drawback, especially national security, political and economic stability,
and prosperity, with the focus on the poor provincial agriculturists,
the majority of Thai citizens, as The governmentll as, national unity.
In addition, the government is determined to resolve the problems, as
for the national benefits, and continue the policies of the previous government.
At
this auspicious moment, I, as Head of State, shall present the formal
policies to the Parliament, as follows:
1. Policy on State Administration
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1.1
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The government shall respect the democratic administration, with King as Head of State, and protect the institution of the King, national independence, sovereignty, and integrity. |
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1.2
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The government shall respect and follow the Constitution and legal solemnity, as to install the national stability, life, property security, and peace. Should there be any turbulence, affecting the national security, the government shall resolve, through the legal measures, and establish the social justice. |
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1.3
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The government shall encourage the public self-defense, especially in the remote, affected, and threat-stricken areas, by implementing the efficient projects, e.g., National Security Project, and Village Development and Security Project, as to achieve the greater efficiency and quality. |
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1.4
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The government shall enhance the state administration system, according to the current situation, facilitate the government procedures and services, as for the national devlopments, resolve the inefficiency problem of the civil servants, and suppress the civil oppression. |
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1.5
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The government shall prevent and suppress the corruption and malfeasance, as to enhance the civil reputation and confidence. |
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1.6
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The government shall provide the administrative decentralization to the provinces, and encourage the public participation in the local administration. |
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1.7
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The government shall promote the public opinion-sharing in the national developments, provide the democratic education to the civil servants and general public, and encourage the public participation in the democratic administration, as to establish the confidence and trust in the democratic system, with King as Head of State. |
2. Foreign Policy
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2.1
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The government shall run the foreign affairs freely, in order to achieve the national independence, sovereignty, liberty, benefit, security, and honour. |
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2.2
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The government shall preserve the national rights, respect the international treaties and agreements, and institute the United Nations' Charter, as to establish the international peace, security, economic, and social develpments. |
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2.3
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The government shall support the peaceful co-existence and peaceful conflict resolutions. |
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2.4
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The government shall establish good diplomatic and economic relations with the friendly nations, in spite of the ideological, economic, and social differences, regarding the independence, sovereignty, intregrity, equality, defense, non-trangression, and non-interference of the internal affairs. |
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2.5
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The government shall nurture the goodwill and mutual cooperations with the member countries of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), in order to achieve the regional stability, security, prosperity, and peace, as well as, enforce the constructive measures, as to turn South East Asian into the peace, liberty, and neutrality area. |
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2.6
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The government shall cherish the good relations, cooperations, and understandings with the neighbor countries, non-members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), with the focus on the aforementioned policies, as for the mutual stability, security, and peace. |
3. Policy on Security
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3.1
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The government shall maintain and strengthen the armed forces, be it royal army, police, or volunteer groups, as for the national security. |
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3.2
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The government shall recruit new concripts, according to the policy, and increase the number of personnel, as for the protection of the national sovereignty and suppression of the terrorism. |
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3.3
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The government shall promote the national weapon industry, improve the military education and weapon standard, according to the self-sustenance policy. |
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3.4
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The government shall provide the special military practice and mobilization, as for the suppression of external threats. |
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3.5
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The government shall foster the army morale, will, discipline, and welfare, and promote the military, administrative, and public cooperation, as to ensure the national security. |
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3.6
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The government shall encourage the military participation in the national developments and disaster alleviation, and provide the vocational education to the army, as for the professional sake, once off-duty. |
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3.7
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The government shall harmonize the armed forces with other government agencies, and encourage the public participation in the preservation of the national security. |
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3.8
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The government shall improve the veteran soldier welfare and decency. |
4. Economic Policy
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4.1
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The government shall resolve the agricultural poverty and income gap, as first priorities, improve the quality of life and the standard of living of the agriculturists, the majority of Thai citizens, following these steps: |
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4.1.1
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Water and Irrigation System Development Develop all-level water resources, especially in drought-stricken Northeast, and implement the flood prevention projects. |
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4.1.2
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Manufacturing Support and Development Provide the efficient manufacturing assistance to the agriculturists, as to meet the increasing needs from the national and global markets, in terms of quantity and quality, through the designation of the Special Economic Agriculture Zone, and provide the basic agricultural amenities, e.g., fertilizer, crop seedling, animal breeding, pesticide, and machine tools. |
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4.1.3
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Price Stabilization Implement the efficient measures, as to stabilize the fair agricultural price, through sanctions and guarantees, reform the marketing mechanism, and reduce the monopoly and oppression from the middle-men. |
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4.1.4
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Agricultural Institute Support Strengthen the agricultural groups and cooperatives, and convert the said groups and cooperatives into the Agricultural Institute in the cooperative system, as for the enhanced efficiency in the market and loan networks, and the collaboration with the government in the increase of the agricultural productivity. |
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4.1.5
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Agricultural Loan Expansion Provide, in collaboration with the commercial banks and Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, the agricultural loan opportunity to the general public. |
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4.1.6
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Land Reform Implement land reform, as to provide the agricultural development and land ownership. |
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4.1.7
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Natural Resources Preservation Preserve and improve the natural resources, e.g., the land, forest, and water resources, as for the efficient utilization. |
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4.1.8
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Transportation of Agricultural Products Improve the transportation of the agricultural products, as to enhance the public accessability and productivity. |
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4.2
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The government shall cherish the rural economic developments, especially in the remote areas, as to raise the national economic status, enhance the national standard of living, social justice, and political experience, according to the democratic administration, encourage the village participation and unity in the local development, with the Municipal Council as initiator and the government as supporter, revise the structure of the rural developments, in accordance with the National Rural Development Plan and the National Economic and Social Plan. |
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4.3
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As the cost of living and well-being of the people are first priorities, the government shall maintain the price of essential consuming goods, at the reasonable level, as for the social justice for the manufacturers and consumers. |
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4.4
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As to minimize the impacts of the global oil crisis, the government shall implement the efficient measures, as to prevent the national oil shortage, by maximizing the productivity of the public and private oil refineries, establishing new refineries, as seen necessary, surveying the oil and natural gas sources, as to operate in 1981, developing the oil alternatives, and encouraging the economical oil utilization. |
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4.5
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The government shall decrease the unemployment rate, following these steps: |
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4.5.1
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Support the off-season profession for the agriculturists. |
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4.5.2
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Support the non-agricultural profession for the people in the provinces. |
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4.5.3
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Improve the labor skill and quality, in accordance with the labor markets. |
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4.6
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The government shall heed special attentions to excel the tourism industry, as to generate the foreign currency and resolve the economic and social problems, especially for the unemployment. In this respect, the government shall actively support the tourism industry, with the Tourism Authority of Thailand as the main office, as to increase the number of the foreign tourists, and distribute the tourists to the provinces. |
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4.7
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The government shall create the good employer-employee relation, understanding, and mutual responsibility in the operations, support the fair remuneration and treatment for the employees, in accordance with the economic and social situation, promote the labor union, and revise the unfair laboral laws, in accordance with the current situation. |
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4.8
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As for international trade, the government shall expand the market network, harmonize the close cooperations between the government and private sector, support the fair trade competition, improve, as for the mutual benefits between the manufacturers and consumers, and national trade balance, suppress the export drawbacks, enhance the quality of the national products, in accordance with the market requirements, increase the efficiency of the international transportation, provide the export privileges to the exporters, and suppress the drawbacks and hindrances in the international competition. |
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4.9
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The government shall enhance the efficiency of the state enterprises, improve, transform, abolish, or sell the non-productive state enterprises. |
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4.10
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The government shall promote the private investment in the national economic and social stability, through the appropriate capital and technology, both from the national and international sources, with the focus on the investment distribution, expand the investment network for the activities, involved with the agricultural products, in accordance with the agricultural manufacturing and support plans, with the focus on medium and large-scale activities, as to generate the national employment and income, support the export manufacturing, in accordance with the international markets and national market expansion plans, establish the confidence for the investors, by suppressing the drawbacks and revising the related laws, rules, regulations, and procedures, as to facilitate the investment procedures and establish the social justice. |
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4.11
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The government shall support the free industry, by not establishing the industrial enterprises, implement the industrial development plans, either integral and specific, as well as, regional industrial development plans, through the definitive policies and procedures, support the investment for the basic processing industries, as for the value addition, expansion for those involved with the existing ones, and assistance for small and home ones, consider the state joint-investment, in accordance with the appropriateness and priority, provide the loan assistance to the survey and provision of the natural resources and the marketing for the national products, establish more Industrial Zones for the exports, and Industrial Estates, implement the standard for the industrial products, as to enhance the confidence in the quality of Thai products, either in domestic and foreign markets, as well as, collaborate with the ASEAN member countries in the Industrial Cooperation Project. |
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4.12
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The government shall upgrade the traffic, transportation, and communication systems, in accordance with the National Economic Development Plan, as to provide the sufficient, comfortable, fast, safe, and economical means of travel. As for land transportation, the government shall provide the appropriate road-rail interlink. Meanwhile, the government shall enhance the water transportation, in accordance with the land transportation. As for air land transportation, the government shall implement the efficient measures, as to meet the national and international requirements, especially to serve the tourism industry. As for communication, the government shall expand all-area networks, with the focus on the telephone system, through the utilization of the modern technology and satellite. |
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4.13
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The government shall implement the efficient exploitation of the natural resources, as for the national benefits and developments, preserve the rare and degraded resources, i.e., forest, survey the national resources, as for the national developments, substitute the non-renewable with renewable resources, and revise the related laws for the utilization and preservation of the natural resources, in accordance with the current situation. |
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4.14
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The government shall enhance the science and technology, following these steps: |
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4.14.1
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Recruit the qualified scientists, as for the research and applied science, in order to maintain the national security. |
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4.14.2
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Enhance the scientific development and preserve the natural resources, by means of science and technology. |
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4.14.3
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Survey the national and international technology, as to develop the appropriate technology, and support the rural developments, as to improve the standard of living, especially in the energy, agriculture, and home industry. |
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4.14.4
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Harmonize the national collaborations, as to revise the energy-related operational plans, in accordance with the current energy situation . |
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4.14.5
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Resolve the energy and environmental problems, and preserve the natural balance, by means of the technological transfer. |
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4.14.6
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Provide the scientific and technological education, as for the national economic, social, and psychological situations. |
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4.14.7
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Improve the national technology, as for the basic structures of the national developments. |
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4.15
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The government shall implement the economic infrastructure projects, which shall enhance the manufacturing capacity and efficiency, as for the national investment and economic growth, following these steps: |
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4.15.1
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Deep Sea Port Project at Sattaheep, as to transport both the agricultural and industrial products, and alleviate the busy Bangkok Port, with the inauguration in 1980 and full capacity in 1982. |
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4.15.2
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Chachoengsao-Sattaheep Railway Project, as to provide the Sattaheep-bound link with other railway lines, not passing Bangkok. |
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4.15.3
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Bangkok International Airport Development Project , as to enhance the capacity of the Bangkok Airport, as for airline and passenger services, and maintain the status of the regional airline hub. |
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4.15.4
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Natural Gas Development Project, as to exploit the natural gas, found in the Gulf of Thailand, with the total capacity of 250 million cubic feet in 1981, and 500 million cubic feet in the next phase. |
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4.15.5
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Lignite Mine Expansion Project, as to maximize the capacity of the lignite mine at Mae Mor to 3.8 million tons annually, and generate the electricity, in substitution of the petroleum. |
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4.15.6
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Potass, Rock Salt, and Soda Ash Mine Project, as to exploit the northeastern salt plain, as for the agricultural and industrial benefits, survey and develop the precious potass sources, as to fuel the potass-based fertilizer industry. |
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4.15.7
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Zinc Ore Smelting Project, as to establish the large-scale zinc ore smelting mill, which shall profit the zinc-based industry, and reduce the zinc imports. |
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4.15.8
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Iron Bar Industry Project, as to develop the national integral iron industry, which shall benefit the national industry. |
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4.15.9
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Chemical Fertilizer Industry Project, as to establish the chemical fertilizer factory, which is one of the important basic industries, and provide the sufficient fertilizer, at reasonable price. |
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4.15.10
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Bangkok Outer Ringroad Project, as to divert the city-bound vehicles, with the first phase in the west of Bangkok at Bangbuathong-Talingchan in 1980. |
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4.15.11
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Expressway Construction Project, as to facilitate the mass transit system and reduce the economic loss, with 3 proposed lines, i.e., Din Daeng-Tha Rue and Bangna-Tha Rue, to open 1981, and the mass transit system (Skytrain). |
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4.15.12
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Northern Agricultural Development Project, as to implement the irrigation, reforestation, agricultural society development in the northern hills of Thailand, and integral rural development, according to the government policy, which shall cover, at least, 15,000 families. |
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4.15.13
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Alcohol Manufacturing Project, as to manufacture the alcohol, used in the benzene refinery, for the cars and vehicles, reduce the petrol import and related chemicals, and provide the economic opportunity for the agriculturists. |
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4.15.14
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Paper Pulp Manufacturing Project, as to reduce the pulp imports, used in the paper mills. |
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4.16
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As for the taxation, the government shall improve the tax structure, as to enhance the direct tax collection system, which shall not affect the low-income, revise the tax rate, as to support the national exports, reduce the tax procedures, conceived as main export obstacles, enhance the efficiency of the export tax compensation, suppress the tax redundancy in the industrial operations, as to reduce the manufacturing cost and support the national products, exempt the tax for the national exports, as to enhance the competitiveness in the world markets, promote the national savings, reduce the economic loss, by means of the financial and monetary measures, mobilize the national savings into the financial institutions, and control the operations of the financial institutions, as for the organization, stability, and confidence. |
Mr. President,
Distinguished Members,
The
government is confident that 14 important projects shall be successfully
implemented and other major projects shall be financed, in accordance
with the former.
5. Social Policy
| 5.1 The government shall enhance the national public service, following these steps: |
| 5.1.1 Expand the social service network, both in the urban and remote areas, with the focus on the infrastructure developments, i.e., road, electricity, and water. | |
| 5.1.2 Improve the standard of living of Thai people, with the decent accommodation, prevent and suppress the urban degradation and environmental intoxication, affecting the mind, health, and well-being of the public, by increasing the green space and leisure, enforcing the clean road and sewage scheme, and enhancing the mass transit system. | |
| 5.1.3 Implement the social security and laboral safety, as for the employees, support and expand the Remuneration Fund network, restore the good employer-employee relationship and understanding, and provide the social justice for both parties. |
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5.2
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As for the public health, the government shall provide the integral health care system, be it prevention, treatment, and protection, to the public, with the focus on the high risk groups, especially those under 5 years and over 60 years, following these steps: |
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5.2.1
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Enhance the provincial hospitals, distrital health care centers, and village gynaecological centers, as for the efficiency of the health administration and patient convenience, and establish the regional hospitals in the North, South, Center, and Northeast, equipped with the medical specialists and capacity of, at least, 1,000 beds, as to reduce the patient interlink to Bangkok. |
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5.2.2
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Implement more mobile health care units and radio health care units, as for the treatment and prevention of the people in the remote areas. |
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5.2.3
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Provide the free medical service to the underprivileged, both in the city and provinces. |
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5.2.4
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Enhance the efficiency of all-level medical officers and promote the village medical education and first aid treatment. |
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5.2.5
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Support the private participation in the local health care administration, in conjunction with the government, as to enhance the health service. |
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5.2.6
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Promote and support the family planning, as for the prevalence and efficiency, and reduce the birth rate to under 2.1 per cent, as for the Mother and Child health quality. |
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5.2.7
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Implement the inter-ministerial cooperations, and support the efficient measures for the food, nutrition, sanitation, clean water, and immunization to the public. |
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5.2.8
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Promote the physical education inside and outside the schools, by means of the mass media, i.e., radio, television, and printing matters, as to encourage the public awareness in the personal and communal health care system. |
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5.3
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The government is determined to implement the national developments, through education, with the focus on the vocation to the provinces, support the educational decentralization, establish the unity in the educational policies and administration, distribute the educational resources to the provinces, as for the equality and quality, and promote the utilization of the appropriate technology, following these steps: |
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5.3.1
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Encourage the awareness of the local administration and private sector in the importance and necessity of the pre-elementary education, as to enhance the child's physical and mental capacity, and grant the scholarships and other related factors to the poor students. |
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5.3.2
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Extend the compulsory education network and enhance the quality of the primary education, by supporting the provincial educational planning, as to benefit the limited resources. |
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5.3.3
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Promote the vocational education in the secondary schools, in accordance with the labor market. |
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5.3.4
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Revolutionize the vocational curricula and system, as well as, recruitment of the vocational teachers, as to harmonize the manufacturing and consuming units. |
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5.3.5
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Collaborate and improve the recruitment of the teachers, upon quality, faith, ideal, and attitude basis, and support the teacher distribution to the provinces. |
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5.3.6
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Improve the quality of all-level private educational institutions and support the private participation in the primary, vocational, and non-formal education. |
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5.3.7
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Extend the non-formal education network to the provinces, in accordance with the local situation, and support the public self-learning method. |
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5.3.8
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Support the health care and ethics education, as for the national benefits. |
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5.4
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As for the universitarial education, the government shall respect and support the freedom of state universities, be it teaching, research, public service, culture revival, intervarsity cooperation, and student support, which shall benefit the nation, provide the educational opportunities to the public, by means of the designation of the "open university", encourage the private participation in the universitarial education, and enhance the quality of the private universities, as to match the state counterparts. |
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5.5
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The government shall establish the social justice, cultural revival, and religious maintenance, as to uphold the national faith. |
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5.6
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The government shall preserve the legal solemnity, respect the freedom of the royal judges, facilitate all-level court procedures, and establish more courts, as seen appropriate. |
6. The government shall encourage the national awareness in the sports, especially in Thai youths, as to enhance the health, sports-mindedness, unity, inseparatism, and national sports standard.
7. As for the narcotics, the government shall prevent and suppress the manufacturing, trading, and consuming of the narcotics and mind-inducing substances, either directly or indirectly, through the legal enforcements, support the substitutional plantation and development of the hill tribes, enhance the rehabilitational treatments and mentality of the drug-addicts, and promote the addict welfare, as to reduce the social burdens, and collaborate with the friendly nations in the control, prevention, and suppression of the narcotics.
8. As for the refugees, the government shall implement the efficient humanitarian measures, especially for the indochinese, in accordance with the national sovereignty, security, and safety, encourage the political and diplomatic collaboration of the international organizations and communities in the resolution of the said problem, as to alleviate the impacts on Thailand.
9. The government shall speed the Buddha Monthon Construction Project,
in time to commemorate the Bangkok Bicentennial, with the government budget
and national donation.
Mr. President,
Distinguished Members,
The
royal government would like to vow to Mr. President and distinguished
members that we shall follow the said policies strictly, aspiring that
they shall resolve the national problems, especially the influx of the
indochinese refugees, fuel oil shortage, narcotics prevention and suppression,
public service, income distribution, with the focus on the agriculturists,
labor issue, state administration, and national security, with the focus
on the border control, through short and long-term measures. As for long-term
projects, the government shall implement the national developments, especially
economic and social, which shall benefit all related types, and support
the rural developments, as for the well-being and democratic growth. Finally,
the government shall run the state administration
with the perseverance and honesty, as for the national prosperity, security,
and well-being, which are the objectives of any government. Should you
have any opinion, comment, or suggestion, the government is delighted
to welcome it. I hope the Parliament shall grant the approval, so that
the government shall implement the said policies successfully.
Thank
you.
*Parliament Assembly Report of 2/1979, 7 June 1979, Pages 13-33
Unofficial Translation