Porametee Vimolsiri, secretary-general of the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB), is equal parts enthusiastic and nervous after the prestigious government planning unit was directed to transform itself into a real think-tank, shaping the country's long-term vision and mission.
From now on, the NESDB will concentrate on handling new challenges such as an ageing society, rapid urbanisation and human resource development to embrace the Thailand 4.0 economy, focusing on technology and innovation.
That modified mission, Mr Porametee admits, is a daunting one.
Under the government's direction, the NESDB is to leave non-essential jobs such as monitoring the investment of state enterprises to other state agencies, focusing only on large projects that play a significant role in Thailand's development.
The agency will also focus on how to attract young, talented people to work for the agency.
Mr Porametee, 57, who took the helm of the NESDB three years ago, also views the board's new role as the secretariat of the National Strategy Committee and National Reform Committee, as required by the new constitution, as a significant challenge.
On June 22 of this year, the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) endorsed the government-sponsored national strategy bill, with the prime minister taking the helm of a national strategy commission.
The bill is designed to support the government's 20-year national development blueprint. It stipulates that the national strategy commission be set up and chaired by the prime minister.
Mr Porametee took the helm three years ago and says the board faces a daunting task with its new mission.
The commission is tasked with drawing up a national strategy to be proposed to the cabinet, giving opinions to parliament, the cabinet or state agencies on issues involving the implementation of the national strategy and supervising national reform to ensure its compliance with the national strategy.
In drafting the national strategy, the commission will set up one or more drafting committees in different fields.
The drafting committee must finish the preliminary draft within 120 days. The national strategy commission will then review and submit the draft to the cabinet within 30 days.
The NLA on the same day passed the bill on plans and procedures for national reform, which will end the life of the National Reform Steering Assembly.
Once the bill is published in the Royal Gazette, the assembly will be replaced by the national reform committees, to work in 11 areas. Each committee comprises up to 13 members with a five-year tenure.
The committees must produce a plan in their respective areas of reform, which is also in line with the national strategy.
The 11 areas of national reform are politics, public administration, law, the justice system, education, the economy, national resources and the environment, public health, mass media and information technology, social issues, and other areas.
The National Strategy Commission is expected to start functioning by next month.
The NESDB law is being amended to pave the way for the agency's evolving mission, as well as letting it restructure itself to become the secretariat of the National Strategy Committee and the National Reform Committee.
"We totally agree that the NESDB's restructuring is critically needed, now that the situation has completely changed both on the global and domestic level," Mr Porametee says. "The agency must be more capable of keeping abreast of the changing global environment and secure the best solutions for the country's sustainable development."
Founded in 1950 under the administration of Plaek Pibulsongkram as the National Economic Council, the NESDB provides the government with opinions and recommendations on economic issues.
In 1959, Sarit Dhanarajata, the prime minister at the time, restructured the council and gave it a new name -- the Office of the National Economic Development Board. In 1961, this office launched the nation's first economic development plan.
In 1972, social development was recognised as an essential part of the national plan. The newly renamed NESDB was brought under the Office of the Prime Minister.
Mr Porametee fulfilled his dream of joining the NESDB in 1987 and became the agency's head in 2015.
In addition to recommendations on economic and social development matters to the cabinet and prime minister, the NESDB scrutinises the National Economic and Social Development Plan and other proposals before submitting them for cabinet consideration. It also set up a coordinating mechanism between itself and concerned agencies and state enterprises for the planning and implementation of development programmes.
NESDB representatives now sit on 600 different committees -- a cumbersome arrangement. The board also functions as the secretariat of the committee on national reform, strategy and reconciliation.
The National Reform and Reconciliation Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, in April agreed on the transformation plan for the NESDB. Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam and Ampon Kittiampon, the committee's secretary-general, were authorised to act as advisers for the government's planning unit to transform it into a real think-tank that shapes the country's long-term vision and mission.
Mr Porametee says the existing 15 NESDB members, whose terms are due to expire next month, need to be shaken up to make the agency conform to the country's 20-year strategic plan and new tasks.
A new generation of independent experts will be included in the NESDB to help the state planning unit catch up with the new national agenda and future trends.
The current 15 NESDB members may possibly stay on, and six new boards will be set up to oversee various key issues security, human resource development, education, national resources and the environment, the economy, and public administration.
Mr Porametee lets off some steam on the football pitch.
The state planning unit needs to be proactive and function more like a "future lab" capable of studying global changes and future issues such as the ageing society, urbanisation and human resources under the 4.0 concept; devise a master plan on the role of Thailand as a gateway to Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam; promote innovation and R&D; and develop a "policy lab" to advise the government.
"Working on the new role of focusing on national strategy and national reform is not easy with an annual budget of 600 million baht a year, and it's quite hard to recruit younger people and experts to work under the existing salary structure," Mr Porametee says.
Nonetheless, working at a prestigious think-tank like the NESDB, which plays a critical role in shaping the country's future development, is expected to remain a dream for many young, well-educated people, just as it once attracted a young Mr Porametee.
He grew up in a "technocratic family": his paternal grandfather, Charoon Vimolsiri, was among the first generation of Thais to study accounting abroad. Charoon later became a professor and the dean of the Commerce and Accountancy Faculty of Thammasat University.
Mr Porametee's grandfather on his mother's side was Luang Boriharnvanaket, chief of the Royal Forest Department in the 1930s.
Mr Porametee leads NESDB staff in an aerobics session.
Working at the NESDB was Mr Porametee's dream ever since receiving his master's degree in International Economics from Columbia University in 1986.
The young man wished to take part in shaping the country's social and economic development through the prestigious government think-tank, which is tasked with providing opinions and recommendations on economic and social development to the cabinet, scrutinising proposals before submitting them to the cabinet for consideration.
Mr Porametee fulfilled his dream in 1987, joining the NESDB's overall planning division. He was promoted to the highest position in the agency in October 2015, succeeding Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, who resigned and is now the transport minister.
Despite his low profile, Mr Porametee's promotion from deputy secretary-general came as no surprise, given his long tenure with the NESDB.
Mr Porametee, who also holds a PhD in Economics from Carleton University in Ottawa, has been the point man for answering media questions about international economic issues that affect Thailand's economy.
He was also a board member of the Monetary Policy Committee, the Government Pension Fund and the Neighbouring Countries Economic Development Cooperation Agency.
Mr Porametee supports the goals of the Anti-Corruption Organization of Thailand.
"Working here at the NESDB was a dream for almost all students of economics, as the NESDB plays a very significant role in conducting the country's national economic and social development plan and giving suggestions to the government about the country's future development," Mr Porametee says.
"More importantly, it was quite fortunate that while I was studying at the Faculty of Economics of Chulalongkorn University, one of my lecturers was Ajarn Virabongsa Ramangkura, a well-known macro-economist."
Mr Virabongsa served as finance minister during the administration of the late Gen Chatichai Choonhavan. And during Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh's stint as premier, Mr Virabongsa was deputy premier in charge of economic affairs.
Mr Porametee started working at the NESDB under former secretary-general Snoh Unakul and has worked under eight secretary-generals of the NESDB, all with different working styles, providing valuable lessons and experience once he himself was charged with taking the helm of the NESDB.
"Now the social and economic environments are much more complex, and the task of the NESDB is to be expanded to cover new challenges such as the special economic zone initiative, the Dawei deep-sea port and special economic zone, and strategic cooperation such as Asean and Apec (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation)," he says. "Strengthening the academic excellence of the NESDB's human resources to support the country's development is also most vital."
