Govt pushes greater investment, skill development in automation and robot tech

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Govt pushes greater investment, skill development in automation and robot tech

By THE NATION

 

 

The Thai-German Institute has been tasked by the Ministry of Industry with promoting investment in automation and robotics technology in the industrial sector as well as developing manpower that is skilled in the production and maintenance of industrial automation systems and robots.

 

“The government wants Thai entrepreneurs to be able to design and produce automation systems and robots for industrial use by exempting import tax on automation and robotic parts to help reduce the cost,” Somwang Boonyarakjaroen, the institute president, said.

 

“Automation and robotics are playing a more important part, especially during the Covid-19 situation where migrant labourers have returned to their home countries, leaving industries with reduced production capacity,” he said.

 

“Many entrepreneurs are still recovering from economic contraction due to the outbreak and therefore are not ready to invest in automation or robotics, but the institute believes that as the virus situation improves more entrepreneurs would see the importance of alternatives to manual labour,” he added.

 

“Currently the prices of automation systems and robots imported from China have gone down considerably, which should increase the chance of small and medium-sized operators gaining access to these technologies to improve their production, especially in automotive and electronics industries that would be benefited greatly from robotic labour,” he added.

 

Meanwhile, the Board of Investment (BOI) revealed that it has employed measures to promote the use of automation systems and robots in manufacturing industries, including granting corporate tax breaks for three years at 50 per cent of the amount of automation and robotic-related investment the company has made in their facilities.

 

“If the investment has resulted in integration with other industries, or promotion of automation systems in Thailand at not less than 30 per cent of the investment value, the company will be entitled to tax break at 100 per cent of the investment value for three years,” said the source. “The eligible investment value, however, does not include land costs and rotating capital.”

 

Statistics from BOI revealed that from January 2018 to June 2020, there were 54 companies participating in the campaign with combined investment value in automation systems of over Bt5.6 billion, while 45 per cent of this investment -- Bt2.5 billion -- resulted in integration with other industries or promotion of automation systems in Thailand.

 

The BOI also reported that in 2019, 12 companies had applied for investment promotion in automation systems and robotics with total investment value of Bt1.02 billion, increasing 580 per cent from that of 2018, when only six companies had applied.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30392666

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-08-10

 

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[Justgrazing]

The robots loved to practice a bit of Swan Lake in downtime .. 

[zyphodb]

Lots more money for the rich, lots less jobs for the poor, unless there is some serious wealth redistribution, this can only end badly...

[yellowboat]

Lots of generalities as usual.   Do Thais know how to write software?  Do they know how to use sensors, servo and stepper motors?   It is not about duty, it's about education.  

[hotchilli]

Robots will work 24/7 while manual labour sits at home unemployed.

[RichardColeman]

100 people turning up for an interview against each other is depressing, turning up for an interview against other people AND a 24 hour robot is going to be making you suicidal 

[Cake Monster]

8 hours ago, yellowboat said:

Lots of generalities as usual.   Do Thais know how to write software?  Do they know how to use sensors, servo and stepper motors?   It is not about duty, it's about education.  

Yes ! The Thais do know something about the things you have listed above.

My Daughter ( 17 ) is learning all of these things at School, OK ! its basic stuff to give some insight into these things, and not the full blown learning, but its a start.

My hope is that my Daughter will see the potential for this A.I. stuff and Robotics / Automation, and decide upon this as a future for Herself.

Robotics, Automation, and A. I. are far superior than any worker in a repetitive production environment.

Plug in, Program, and Play 24/7/365, with no requests for days off ( except the odd breakdown ), no pay rises, goes to work on time every day, no Coffee breaks or Lunch breaks, and are precise in the tasks they perform, time, after time with no mistakes, and maximum productivity.

Me, I was 25 years around CAD/ CAM, Programming of CNC Machines, and only wish I was younger to partake in this new Era

it all interests me 

Edited August 10, 2020 by Cake Monster

[yellowboat]

26 minutes ago, Cake Monster said:

Yes ! The Thais do know something about the things you have listed above.

My Daughter ( 17 ) is learning all of these things at School, OK ! its basic stuff to give some insight into these things, and not the full blown learning, but its a start.

My hope is that my Daughter will see the potential for this AI stuff and Robotics / Automation, and decide upon this as a future for Herself.

 

So happy to hear that.   One of my vendor's in China has Python for Women once a week, and its usually full.  AI and automation is covered and people volunteer to teach.  

 

All your daughter needs is an Arduino, a few sensors and motor/controllers and she is away.  Costs are less than B500.

 

She may want to learn speak Chinese as well. 

[johng]

14 minutes ago, yellowboat said:

One of my vendor's in China has Python for Women

sorry but can't help it...... ooh errr misses,  aren't they usually called anacondas ????

 

They have some interesting programs on the Thai  "Digital learning channels"

 

 

 

 

[Redline]

Until they have a decent education system, and a stable government, tax breaks won’t cut it.

[Cake Monster]

On 8/10/2020 at 4:36 PM, yellowboat said:

So happy to hear that.   One of my vendor's in China has Python for Women once a week, and its usually full.  AI and automation is covered and people volunteer to teach.  

 

All your daughter needs is an Arduino, a few sensors and motor/controllers and she is away.  Costs are less than B500.

 

She may want to learn speak Chinese as well. 

She already has the Arduino ( 2 of the things ) Plus a whole box full of different Sensors and another of various Drives Etc.

Also can speak Chinese, a Little Spanish and also French