Policy Announcement*

Mr. President,
Distinguished Members,

Persuant to His Majesty's gracious appointment of myself as Prime Minister, per Royal Command dated 7 April 1992, and the subsequent appointment of the Council of Ministers, per Royal Command dated 17 April 1992. The Council of Ministers has now formulated a policy for the administration of state affairs, which I shall, hereby, present to you, with the focus on economic, social and political well-being, prosperity and security to the nation and people, as follows:

1. Political Policy

The government is determined to strengthen the political institution, as for the national benefit, by emphasizing on the importance of all-level public participation, under the framework of the Constitution and the democratic government, with King as Head of State, following these steps:

1.1	Respect the Royal Throne and protect the institutions of the Nation, Religion, King, and democratic government, with King as Head of State.
1.2	Support the development of political parties, as main organizations in the development of the democratic government, with King as Head of State, encourage the public awareness in the responsibilities of Thai citizen, according to the Constitution, as well as, support the public participation in local and national politics.
1.3	Support the systematic distribution of administration to the regions and provinces, in accordance with the provincial requirements, and promote the development of personnel and budget allocation administration, as to provide useful links for the sustenance of the said distribution.
1.4	Support and promote the freedom of mass media in the rapid presentation of correct information.

2. Policy on the State Administration and Legal Reform

The government is determined to change the idea of state administration, from control to supervision, support, and implementation, as to promote the national developments.

2.1 Development on State Administration

2.1.1	Enhance the morale, attitude, and service-mindedness of civil servants, as to become more open, devotional, and active in the operation of the national and public benefits.
2.1.2	Implement the governmental reform on the operation system of civil servants, as to increase the service efficiency, rapidity and availability, by reducing unnecessary procedures, relocating the decision-making power to the subordinates, minimizing the redundancy, and standardizing the permission and authorization systems, or other administrative rules and regulations of civil servants and government agencies, as to establish the decision procedure and timeframe of the operation, conforming to the transparency to the public, as well as, improving the structure and consideration process on personnel, budget, and planning administration, as to achieve the total harmony, rapidity, and effectiveness.
2.1.3	Implement the ministerial policy reform, in accordance with the formal policies of the government and the National Economic and Social Development Plans, and institute the Follow-Up and Processing Systems, as to guarantee the efficiency and effectiveness of the state administration.
2.1.4	Implement the service distribution of government agencies and state enterprises to the regions and provinces, enhance the government service, by means of advanced Information Technology and related technologies, as to facilitate the government procedures, and achieve greater efficiency and service coverage.
2.1.5	Develop the morale and will of civil servants, by improving the remuneration and benefits, in accordance with the status and current cost of life, implement the appropriate welfare system, standardized work environment, as well as, the rewarding and promotion systems, upon the merit, as to recruit and retain the qualified civil servants.
2.1.6	Implement the effective counter corruption measures and malfeasance suppression in the state administration.
2.1.7	Support the efficiency of judiciary system, by facilitating the court procedures and establishing more courts.

2.2

Modernize the outdated codes of laws, in accordance with the economic and social developments, social justice, governmental role reshuffle from control to supervision and support, and encourage the participation of educational institutions, research centers, academists, as well as the general public in opinion-sharing.

3. Policy on the Distribution of Developments and Justification of the Social Justice

The government is determined to implement the rural development, as to make effective the income distribution and poverty alleviation schemes, following these steps:

3.1Rural Developments

3.1.1	Expand the service network, as to guarantee the total rapidity and coverage.
3.1.2	Implement the central administration and budget distribution to the provinces, as to guarantee the provincial developments, in accordance with the local necessity and requirements.
3.1.3	Increase the provincial income generation, by means of the enhanced capacity of the taxation system, revise the local taxation structure reform, and implement the national income distribution to the provinces.
3.1.4	Enhance the capacity of the Municipal Council, as to remain efficient in furnishing assistance to the public, and lay strong foundation to become a juristic person, once prepared.
3.1.5	Support the extra profession, to be practised in and out of the cultivation season, as to increase the income of rural people.
3.1.6	Support the appropriate technology and marketing services to the public, as to register the qualified products and the facilitation of product vending at the fair price level.
3.1.7	Improve the infrastructure network distribution to the public, be it road, electricity, potable water, or health care basics, as to raise the standard of living of provincials.
3.1.8	Encourage and promote the agricultural loan service for non-agricultural activities.
3.1.9	Implement the land distribution reform or related measures, as to provide arable land to the have-not, and speed the land registration documents for the land-owners.
3.1.10	Improve the arable land administration measures and related procedures, as to restore the social justice and resolve the urgent problems, especially for those living in the controversial land.

3.2 Community Developments for the Low-Income in the Urban Areas

3.2.1	Improve the accommodation service for the low-income in the urban areas, together with the development of the infrastructures, as to meet the acceptable standard and coverage.
3.2.2	Support and collaborate with the private sector in providing the education for rare skilled labor, as to provide the professional alternatives and income raise, by subsidizing the social welfare for the professional development for the low-income in the urban areas, as to promote self-reliance, health care, and education service coverage.

4. Policy on the Natural Resources and Environment

The government is determined to preserve and revive the natural resources and improve the environmental quality, following these steps:

4.1 Natural Resources Preservation and Revival

4.1.1	Preserve, protect, and prevent the natural resources destruction, be it land, forests or other resources, by means of the enforced laws and the contribution of local people.
4.1.2	Supervise the natural resources exploitation balance, as for the economic benefits, leisure, and preservation.
4.1.3	Encourage the public awareness, especially in youths, on the importance of the preservation and development of natural resources, as well as, support the participation in the operations.
4.1.4	Preserve and revive the fishery resources in Thai water confine, as for the economic and ecological benefits.

4.2 Water Resource Preservation and Revival

4.2.1	Implement the systematic Water Resource Preservation, Development and Administration Master Plans, in order to guarantee the efficiency of the water resource in public consumption, industry, agriculture, and environmental exploitation, with the focus on the ecological system, the preservation and development of water-source forests, as well as, the participation of local organizations in the development, administration, and maintenance.
4.2.2	Collaborate with neighbor countries in the development of water resources, for the regional benefits.
4.2.3	Support the private participation in the water provision for industries.
4.2.4	Establish the non-agricultural water fee collection, at reasonable price, conforming to the investment, as to encourage the water preservation.

4.3 Forest Resource Preservation and Revival

4.3.1	Focus on the preservation of protected forests and water-source forests, by means of the personnel reinforcement and utilization of new technogies, i.e., satellite photos, and press on the declaration of national parks and animal breeds preservation areas, in dense forest areas.
4.3.2	Implement the forest survey, as to identify the protected and economic forests, and exploit the forest survey, in accordance with the current situations.
4.3.3	Support the reforestation of agriculturists, as to increase the forest areas.
4.3.4	Encourage the private participation in the construction of forest gardens, as for the economic benefits and freshness preservation.
4.3.5	Preserve and revive the mangrove forest resources, as well as, implement the preventive and suppressive measures against mangrove traffickers.

4.4 Energy-Related Natural Resource Development

4.4.1	Implement the sufficient energy survey, generation, and provision, both in Thailand and abroad, as to meet the increasing energy requirements, and establish the forceful measures on the preservation of energy and natural resources.
4.4.2	Collaborate with neighbor countries in the developments of natural resources and energy sources, as for the regional benefits.

4.5 Pollution and Environmental Resolution

4.5.1	Suppress the health-menacing environmental problems, especially water, air, noise pollutions, toxic and sewage treatments, be it from the communities, factories, different types of businesses, as well as, infected garbage from hospitals, with the objectives to have environment-destructive businesses or individuals to be financially responsible for the fair resolution to the problems.
4.5.2	Suppress the toxic hazards and dangerous substances, by improving the control system, from transportation, maintenance and elimination processes, and enforcing the related laws.
4.5.3	Encourage the public awareness on the dangers of pollution and environmental problems, as well as, support the participation from the communities and non-governmental organizations in the resolution process, in conjunction with the government.

5. Policy on the Agriculture Development

Realising the importance of the agriculture to the national economy, the competitive capacity of Thailand in the global markets, and the poverty imposed in the majority of Thai citizens in agricultural sector, caused by the increasing manufacturing cost, low technological advancement, and incertain products, the government is determined to develop the agricultural sector as the national key developments, placing the emphasis on the continuous revival, following these steps:

5.1 Manufacturing Policy

5.1.1	Support the reform in manufacturing structure, as well as, agriculture, pasture, and fishery, in accordance with the regional topography and market requirements.
5.1.2	Emphasize on the improvement of the soil quality, as key factor in the development of agricultural sector, with the focus on the governmental investment to subsidize the improvement of the soil quality, by means of organic substance and biochemical fertilizer.
5.1.3	Implement the investment on agricultural researches and developments in organic pest control, as well as, support the technology transfer to agriculturists, as to reduce the dependency on chemicals.
5.1.4	Promote and support the planting of high-quality and pest-resistant croppings, provide sufficient animal breeds and plant strains to agriculturists, conforming to the necessity and seasons, as well as, provide essential information on the manufacturing and marketing.
5.1.5	Envisage the development of long-term agricultural loans, as to enable the revival of the efficient agricultural system, and support the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives in providing agricultural loans to poor and small agriculturists, under the compromising conditions.
5.1.6	Increase the budget of the Land Fund, as to provide sufficient financial assistance to landless agriculturists, in the process of acquiring the piece of arable land, and support the conversion of the Land Fund into the Land Bank.

5.2 Marketing Policy

5.2.1	Improve the national agricultural products market system, as to provide the opportunity to agriculturists to diversify the agricultural products, by reducing the middle-man dependency system and establishing the Central Agricultural Product Market in the provinces.
5.2.2	Supervise the agriculturists, composing of the majority of Thai citizens, to acquire fair vending of agricultural products, by sanctioning the agricultural price or other measures, as to establish the favorable price standard.
5.2.3	Strengthen the Agricultural Union, as to increase the negotiation power and efficiency of the activities.
5.2.4	Increase the Agricultural Reserve Fund and supervise the fund, as to provide direct benefits to agriculturists.

5.3 Policy on Income Raise Support

5.3.1	Diversify the agriculture-based industry network, as to sustain the agricultural products, provide the manufacturing alternatives to agriculturists, and guarantee the price and purchase, by establishing the processing plants for agricultural products in the provinces.
5.3.2	Diversify the agriculture-based profession, providing the opportunity for the income raise, as well as, securing the year-round position and the income raise from land usage.
5.3.3	Support the integral agriculture, as for greater income raise.

6. Economic Policy

The government is determined to respect the free economy system and preserve the financial stability and discipline, as main objectives, alongside the income distribution, the establishment of social justice, as well as, the development of life quality and the preservation of environmental quality. In addition, the government shall heed special attention to improve the capacity level of the competitiveness in international markets, as to register the continuous growth of the Thai economy and establish Thailand as the regional economic center, following these steps:

6.1	Implement the careful financial policy, as to prevent the inflation and balance deficit, disabling the negative effects on the national developments and the living status of the people.
6.2	Enhance the capacity of government agencies and private organizations in the economic system, as to encourage the competitiveness in world markets, under the volatile global situation.
6.3	Immunize the national economy and the expansion capacity, in accordance with the systematic growth of international economies, as to guarantee the development and competitiveness with the industrialized countries, under the financial and monetary discipline framework.
6.4	Increase the capacity level in the mobilization of national savings, in accordance with the investment requirement for developments, under the framework of the global economic and financial changes, especially for the national establishment as the economic centers for finance and commerce, by means of the standardization in capital and monetary markets and efficiency in the mobilization of national savings, with a focus on the protection of depositors and investors.
6.5	Improve and reform the taxation structure and collection system of central and regional tax, as to register the transparency, neutrality, and effectiveness, and increase the central and regional tax income.
6.6	Suppress the economic drawbacks and restraints in the expansion of infrastructure network, as to maintain the quantity and quality, appropriate for the stable growth of the national economy.
6.7	Support Thai investments and trades in the foreign countries.
6.8	Administer the financial and monetary policies and measures, as to encourage the development of environmental quality, suppress pollutions, support the preservation of energy and natural resources, and encourage the continual investment of Thai businessmen in the foreign countries, by improving the financial support system, i.e., export loans and the protection of Thai investments abroad.
6.9	Implement the reform on taxation structure, as to benefit the country in accordance with the General Agreements on Trade and Tariffs (GATT) and the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA), as well as, protect the national industries from the negative impacts of the said policy.
6.10	Industry: The government shall follow these steps:

6.11	Commerce: The government shall follow these steps:

6.12	Transportation: The government shall follow these steps:

6.13	Promote and improve the tourism industry, by securing tourism faciliatation and safety, preserving and improving various sites and reviving the folk culture, as to offer attractions to tourists.

7. Policy on Security

The government has formulated the policy on security, following these steps:

7.1	Develop and maintain the compact, efficient and modernized army, improve the reinforcement and calling systems, as to uphold the national security and benefits, as well as, form the military, paramilitary, and popular forces, as for the protection of national defense and natural resources.
7.2	Improve the self-reliance capacity level on security, by promoting and supporting military researches and developments, as well as, implementing the national weapon industry, through cooperations of the government agencies, private sector, and friendly nations.
7.3	Encourage and support the army participation in national developments, be it development on security, social assistance and alleviation of disasters, improve the morale and will of the army, by means of good welfare, decent living, as well as, appropriate veteran welfare.

8. Social Policy

The government is determined to follow these steps:

8.1	Improve the safety and security on life and property, by preventing and suppressing crimes, delinquences, and influential groups, especially illegal loggers, economic crime malfeasants, central or regional alike, as well as, narcotic manufacturers and traders.
8.2	Support the social and mental developments, at the village level, institute ethics, as the life's true path, encourage the religious practice and support it, as for the true method of social and mental developments in the community, in accordance with the local identity.
8.3	Establish the decent welfare for the elders, as for the peaceful existence in the society.
8.4	Protect, revive, and improve the underprivileged and those with special problems, e.g., handicapped and deformed, providing them with education and vocational practice, as for their self-reliance and pride.
8.5	Improve and protect women from discriminatory acts or social intolerance.
8.6	Improve the quality of life of children and youths, by providing recreation centers, stadia, practices, as well as, the instruction of good views.
8.7	Cherish the cultural revival and heritage preservation, in accordance with the economic development.
8.8	Support the establishment of the Consumer Protection system, as to guarantee the social justice for manufacturers and consumers.
8.9	Implement the Alarm System, as to alleviate the the disastrous acts, in due course, and encourage the public and private participation in the prevention of national disasters.
8.10	Provide the sufficient legal assistance to the public, facilitate the court procedures and detention systems, by means of the advanced technology, and improve the rapidity and efficiency of legal investigations.
8.11	Sports

9. Educational Policy

Aware of the importance of the human resource in the national developments, the government is determined to improve the educational system, national curricula, and quality of academic institutions, in order that the learners shall perceive the importance of being human and the quality of life of the public shall be enhanced, by following these steps:

9.1	Provide and extend the educational opportunities, be it formal or non-formal, as to raise the compulsory education into junior high school and expand the pre-school education network in the provinces.
9.2	Implement efficient measures to resolve the shortage of qualified teachers, by modifying the educational procedures, as to encourage the private participation in the provision of teachers in secondary schools, vocational schools and universities, as well as, mobilizing the public and private resources in the resolution of the problem.
9.3	Suppress the labour shortage, by recruiting the qualified personnel in the required fields of study and profession.
9.4	Support the researches and developments, as to improve the efficiency and academic advancement of technologies imposed in the national developments, in order to reduce the foreign technological dependency and support the adoption of foreign technologies, in accordance with the national requirements.
9.5	Improve the national curricula, with the focus on increasing the arts, culture, and traditions, in accordance with the regional requirements, alongside the self-study, by means of the enhanced media system.
9.6	Encourage the morale, will and welfare of teachers, especially in the remote areas, as for the professional security.
9.7	Support the distribution of the educational opportunity in universities, in accordance with the prosperity distribution to the regions and provinces.

10. Public Health Policy

The government is determined to improve the public health and quality of life, providing the nationwide accessibility to health care service, as to effectively meet the public requirements, following these steps:

10.1	Enhance the national medical and health care service systems, by improving the efficiency of all-level service, as to remain prompt in both normal and emergent times, especially at the municipal level, support and implement the National Health Care Service System, unifying the public and private health care services into the national network, as to benefit the public from the indiscriminatory good service and the efficient patient interlink system.
10.2	Control and suppress the AIDS outbreak, alongside the treatment of the infected and the peaceful co-existence of patients and infected in the society, support and encourage the serious and continual participation of government agencies, private organizations, as well as, other benefitial organizations, in the control and prevention of AIDS disease, and protect the national tourism industry from the impacts of the diffusion of related information.
10.3	Establish the appropriate Social Security systems for the low-income, underprivileged, and elders.
10.4	Improve, facilitate, and guarantee the efficiency of the export system on food and medicine.
10.5	Implement the Consumer Protection system, especially for food, medicine, and medical service, as to secure good product and service, quality, and reasonable price.

11. Laboral Policy

The government is determined to promote and support the self-improvement of labourers, as for the greater range of profession, in accordance with the personal requirements and capacity, which shall, eventually, increase the revenue level and quality of life, following these steps:

11.1	Support the National Wage Committee under the tripatriate system, as to implement the fair minimum wage.
11.2	Enhance the role of the National Labor Development Council for the resolution of labour issues.
11.3	Increase the remuneration and welfare of some groups of laborers, in accordance with the related laws, as to meet those of other groups of laborers and guarantee the professional security and safety.
11.4	Support the development of skilled labour, especially in the provinces, as to provide greater professional opportunities, in accordance with the skill and personal capacity, as to raise the income level.
11.5	Establish the Laboral Market Information System and enhance the efficiency of laboral market mechanism, in the provinces.
11.6	Protect Thai laborers in foreign countries, from being deceived in the processes of job finding and working, implement efficient measures to decrease the cost imposed in procedures, as well as, protect the benefit and safety of Thai laborers abroad.
11.7	Supervise the women, children and unskilled laborers, as well as, provide the social justice and lawful protection.
11.8	Enhance the Social Security, as to facilitate the welfare procedures.

12. Foreign Policy

The government is determined to run the foreign policy freely, in accordance with the current global situations and national status, as for the greatest benefits to the nation and Thai citizens, under the equality, sovereignty, integrity, non-interference of internal affairs policies. In addition, the government shall respect the international treaties and obligations, plus the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and increase the mutual assistance with other sovereign nations and the United Nations, as to promote and preserve the peace stability, economic and social prosperity, as well as, the preservation of natural resources, enabling the raise in the quality of life of the general public. The government shall follow these steps:

12.1	Enhance the friendship, amity, and coordination, especially in economic, commercial, social, and transportation networks, with other Southeast Asian countries, as for the establishment of the regional stability and prosperity.
12.2	Reiterate the close relationships and cooperations, amongst ASEAN countries, be it political, economic, social, and cultural, especially economic integration.
12.3	Improve and enhance the economic and commercial relations, investment, and tourism with the major trade partners, as well as, extend the economic and commercial relations and cooperations to the countries of other regions, by harmonising the mutual operations between the public and private sectors.
12.4	Implement the economic, academic and cultural relations, as well as, the human resource development, with other sovereign countries, both bilateral and multilateral, and enhance the national role, by assisting and supporting economic developments in developing countries, especially in neighbour countries, under the reconstruction period, through economic, academic and social cooperations, as to tighten the relations and good understandings between the people of the two countries.
12.5	Increase the national role in international community, under the framework of the United Nations and international organizations, especially in the peace-keeping process, improvement of the free trade system, the preservation and development of the environment.
12.6	Supervise and protect Thai citizens, increasing rights and benefits in foreign countries, from any discriminatory acts.
12.7	Improve the national reputation, by means of constant acts of public relations, enabling other sovereign nations to form the correct perception on Thailand and Thai cultures, and use the cultural relations as efficient means to establish friendship with other nations.

13. Policy on Science and Technology

The government is determined to enhance the national capacity in science and technology, by encouraging the private participation in economic and social developments and competitiveness in global markets, following these steps:

13.1	Improve the recruitment of qualified personnel in science and technology, both in term of quantity and quality.
13.2	Support the national researches and developments, especially in technology, as to meet the desirable quality and standard.
13.3	Implement the utilization of eco-friendly technologies and support the national researches and developments for those technologies.
13.4	Support the extension of cooperations with foreign countries in the transfer of science and technology, as receiver from more advanced countries and provider to less advanced countries.

14. Urgent Policy

As to alleviate and prevent drought problems, the government shall follow these steps:

14.1	Resolve the drought-stricken problems, as to alleviate the national misery, by means of the water distribution to the needed, and provide water pumps.
14.2	Encourage the agricultural participation in the resolution of drought problems, by providing agricultural loans with special interest rate.
14.3	Implement the governmental support in the development of underground water, as to suppress the current and future problems.
14.4	Operate the Royal Rain project in affected areas, especially those situated in the proximity of dams and reservoirs, as well as, appropriate agricultural areas.
14.5	Implement the governmental support in the development of moats, canals, ponds, and lakes, to be used as water channels and reservoirs.
14.6	Alleviate the problems of affected agriculturists, by extending the pay-off period and enabling the financial institutions to provide low-interest loans, as to help revive the profession.
14.7	Encourage the employment in the provinces, especially in affected areas, as to ensure the local revenue.

Mr. President,
Distinguished Members,

Having all said, I would like to assure you that the government shall strictly abide to the policies, as to bring about the prosperity to our nation, by means of transparent and just operations. I believe all cooperations and supports from distinguished members shall contribute to the success and well-being of the Thai people.

Thank you.

*Parliament Assembly Report of 1/1992 (Session 1), 6 May 1992, Pages 4-21.

Unofficial Translation