Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Yotchanan Wongsawat engaged in discussions with Thai students in the Netherlands, promoting a shift in Thailand from a "technology buyer" to an "innovation creator," and called on Thai professionals abroad to help drive the country forward.
On 15 June 2026, reporters reported that during his official mission in the Netherlands and Belgium to seek cooperation in science and technology from 13 to 20 June 2026, yesterday (14 June), Yotchanan Wongsawat, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, met and exchanged knowledge with groups of Thai students and professionals in Eindhoven, Kingdom of the Netherlands, in a warm and friendly atmosphere. He spoke about a new direction for the country’s development focused on creating deep tech knowledge and technology instead of merely importing technology, alongside upgrading existing industries to align with an aging population structure.
Regarding technology and innovation creation, Yotchanan pointed out Thailand’s past weakness of solving problems only through purchasing technology, which prevented sustainable learning and development. He emphasized the new strategy by saying:
“Previously, we used to buy all the technology and bring it into the country. While we obtained the products, we did not acquire the knowledge. When the products broke or became outdated, we couldn’t fix them ourselves and had to send people abroad for repairs. Therefore, we must now change our approach by consulting with embassies and networks of Thai students in each location. If anyone sees good technology or innovations, please notify us. We will assess whether Thailand can develop it. If so, we will try, but if not, we will point directly to what to import for initial learning and then build upon it, or possibly send our people there to study and gain sustainable knowledge.”
He also addressed domestic infrastructure limitations that may discourage Thai students from pursuing advanced technology fields. Yotchanan proposed international cooperation as a way to overcome these limitations, stating:
“I’ve seen some people wanting to study Robotics but fear that upon returning to Thailand, there will be no infrastructure to support them, so they switch to Software instead. I think that’s half right, half wrong. Actually, if we want to do something, we can do it by viewing the entire world as our ecosystem. If Thailand lacks equipment, that’s okay. We can use science diplomacy to help. If we want to test, create, or produce something, we just need to find where in the world it can be done. This is the power of breaking away from the idea that Thailand is limited or enclosed by barriers.”
Regarding Thai academic research, Yotchanan said that currently many researchers rely heavily on literature reviews, which makes it difficult to become world leaders because these works address problems others have thought about, not necessarily problems relevant to Thailand. He stressed the importance of prioritizing local community issues to attract global collaboration, saying that researchers living abroad can continue their lives overseas but should help solve problems in Southeast Asia or Thailand to draw in talented people worldwide to find solutions.
On attracting investment to advance the economy, the Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation stated that producing high-quality research is key to drawing global investors naturally, without relying on connections.
“I believe that if we can publish good research today, it will be a very powerful weapon. Suppose I don’t have social capital but want to meet top experts or the biggest companies to collaborate. Our weapon is publishing quality work. When they read and see the potential, they will contact us. Therefore, whenever we can prove that our ideas have buyers and can be sold through publication in leading international journals, investors and capable people will come to us.”
At the end, Yotchanan encouraged Thai students and professionals abroad and pledged efforts to lay the technological foundation to prepare everyone to return and develop the country.
“I want to say that I will do my utmost with my team to improve our country. We strive to establish foundations so that we can proudly stand and show that Thais can innovate anywhere. This groundwork is expected to show tangible results within 2-3 years, and by the fourth year, we will begin to see Thailand having its own technology and innovation. Finally, I want everyone to come back and help develop our country.”