The government will reform Thailand economically to ensure its readiness to cope with competition among Asean countries and rapid change globally, the prime minister says.
Yingluck Shinawatra on Monday made the pledge at a seminar titled "The Path of Thailand to Asean Community (AC)", held by the National Economic and Social Development Board.
The seminar, attended by about 2,500 people, sought to call for public and private sectors to work more closely to help reduce potential risks to the country from entry into the AC in the next two years and from the Asean plus six countries, namely Japan, India, South Korea, China, New Zealand and Australia.
Ms Yingluck said Thailand must prepare itself for economic changes in the US and EU, changes in consumer behaviour, and its increasingly ageing society.
She said in order to deal with these risks the Thai government has implemented a policy that will balance its reliance on domestic and external economies.
The policy helps the country rely more on its domestic economy and increases in exports to countries including China, Australia and nations in the Middle East, she said.
Ms Yingluck said countries with ageing populations and changing consumer behaviour, such as Thailand and Japan, need entrepreneurs to consider how to create products that meet new demands.
She said Thailand is expected to encounter a shortage of labour soon, so the government needs to devise solutions to the problem and develop the efficiency of the existing labour force.
The prime minister said state-of-the-art technology should be used to upgrade various products for sale in the world market, and that entrepreneurs should find new uses of technology in order to cut costs.
She said the government has implemented the policy to better support agricultural business and increase the value of agriculture products.