Yotsanan unveiled Thailand's quantum technology roadmap, promoting a leapfrog model inspired by China's success, while advocating the use of science diplomacy to connect with leading global laboratories and research centers.
On 27 March 2026, Yotsanan Wongsawat, a party-list MP from the Pheu Thai Party and former Vice President for Research at Mahidol University, attended the "Quantum Communication Technologies and Metrology" seminar at the Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Phayathai. He discussed with researchers ways to advance Thailand's quantum technology concretely, proposing a leapfrog approach to overcome limited science funding. He urged the government to support Thai researchers’ access to world-class laboratories and equipment through international collaborations first, to create tangible success models that would make future budget approvals clearer and more cost-effective than starting from scratch alone.
Furthermore, Yotsanan emphasized the strategy of "securing footholds" in technologies where global dominance is not yet established. He cited China's success focusing on electric vehicles (EV) and 6G technologies as an example Thailand could adapt to develop "Quantum Precision Agriculture," creating strategic advantages in its key industries. Drawing from his background in Neuro Engineering, he shared challenges faced with conventional brain signal measurements and highlighted the potential of Quantum Sensing, which offers higher accuracy and smaller size, as vital for advanced diagnosis and treatment in major hospitals.
At the end of the discussion, Yotsanan proposed using "science diplomacy" as a bridge to connect Thai researchers and students with the world's most challenging and advanced research institutions. The goal is to shift the research mindset from producing academic papers alone to aligning with private sector and societal needs—such as security through 6G communication systems and medical hopes—thereby communicating to the Thai public and building confidence that Thailand is capable of developing cutting-edge quantum technologies on par with any nation worldwide.