New legal standards for some science and technology professionals may be enacted this year in preparation for the advent of the Asean Economic Community in 2015.
The Council of Science and Technology Professionals (CSTP) is drafting a law in support of four science sectors: hazardous chemicals, environmental impact assessment, nuclear technology and control of disease-causing microbes.
CSTP president Nirut Uttha said it is important for Thai scientists to be as competitive as their counterparts in other countries in order to meet international standards, especially in industry.
"Many new factories are opening these days, and they have to dispose of their wastes and other hazardous substances. These four sectors are of an urgent nature, and there could be negative consequences if they're not kept under control, especially when foreign scientists become involved," he said.
The new legal standards will mean not only can Thai scientists compete in other Asean countries but also foreign scientists working in Thailand will have to meet the same standards.
The Science, Technology and Innovation Act of 2008 already covers the four sectors of natural science, health, agriculture and integrated science and technology.
The new draft bill that has been drawn up to cover the other four sectors has been submitted to the Council of State, expected to grant approval this year.
If passed into law, professionals of the four occupations would have one year in which to sit a standard examination.
Other sectors that are in demand could be added in the future such as food science, in line with Thailand's goal of becoming the "kitchen of the world", said Mr Nirut.
He said while Thai scientists do possess much knowledge, they lack the specialisations found in other countries such as Singapore, which have skilled paint and chemical specialists in the manufacturing sector.
This results in those countries' products standing apart from much that Thailand has to offer, said Mr Nirut.
The CSTP yesterday signed a MoU with Mahidol University's tropical medicine and public health faculties on joint development of science and technology training for Thai scientists.