The Digital Council of Thailand (DCT), which covers private digital business operators, has introduced a central donation platform aimed at enhancing medical supply management, while three mobile operators are offering affordable mobile packages for students to support e-learning amid the coronavirus outbreak.
"The DCT embraces digital technologies from key partners, stakeholders in the private sector, civil society and policymakers to cope with the Covid-19 crisis," DCT president Suphachai Chearavanont said in a virtual meeting.
The DCT is focused on digital solutions, digital infrastructure, digital information and digital regulations.
Early this month, DCT plans to introduce the central donation platform helpital.com for the collection of donated health equipment for distribution to hospitals in need, said Mr Suphachai, who is also chief executive of CP Group.
Ittaporn Kancharoen, secretary-general of the Medical Council of Thailand, said 10% of people who died from Covid-19 were health professionals and donations of health equipment to hospitals in need would increase their protection.
The DCT also plans to launch tankoon.in.th website, which serves as an e-marketplace for products and services targeting the elderly.
By mid-April, Mr Suphachai said, the DCT wants to roll out Self-D care application to track those at risk of contracting Covid-19 over the course of 14 days.
The app allows people to conduct self-assessment for Covid-19 and share the results of this information with the authorities.
If users of the app are infected, the app can trace and alert people who have been close to that person, he said.
Another app called uSAFE would help people know their risk of contracting the coronavirus by gauging distance and time spent between users and those infected through artificial intelligence technology.
At the DCT meeting, executives from Advanced Info Service, Total Access Communication and True Corporation agreed to provide students with "student SIMs" at a cost of 400 baht each to support e-learning.
This package comes with unlimited internet at a speed of 4 megabits per second for three months.
In terms of digital regulation, Mr Suphachai said DCT will talk with the Digital Economy and Society Ministry to amend rules to facilitate e-meetings.
He said current network capacity provided by telecom operators is adequate to support higher data traffic as more people work from home and engage in e-learning.