The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (Abrv: MDES; Thai: กระทรวงดิจิทัลเพื่อเศรษฐกิจและสังคม, RTGS: Krasuang Dichithan Phuea Setthakit Lae Sangkhom), formerly known as the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT), Thai: กระทรวงเทคโนโลยีสารสนเทศและการสื่อสาร, is a cabinet ministryofThailand. MICT was established on 3 October 2002 by the Administrative Reorganisation Act, 2002.[5] The new ministry was created as the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society by the Re-organization of Ministry, Bureau and Department Act, B.E. 2558.[6]
In September 2016, Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) was dissolved and replaced by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society. The ministry assumed the responsibilities of MICT. MICT's former agencies, the National Statistical Office of Thailand, the Thai Meteorological Department, the Electronic Transactions Development Agency, Thailand Post, TOT, and CAT Telecom, are to be transferred to the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society. The National Disaster Warning Center, formerly under MICT, is to be transferred to the Interior Ministry.[7] MICT's Software Industry Promotion Agency (SIPA) was dissolved and some of its staff transferred to a newly established unit, the Digital Economy Promotion Agency under MDES.[8]
In 2018 the ministry plans to set up a cybersecurity agency and hacker training centre. It will recruit at least 1,000 trainers to educate people in 24,700 villages nationwide to use information communication technology (ICT) to construct "national broadband villages".[9]
