| Abstract | According to the agreement among the members of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the
telecommunication industry is planned to be liberalized by the year 2006. Moreover, Thai economy
has been under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) economic adjustment program, in relation to
the financial and technical assistance from IMF. Consequently, to be ready for the liberalization and
stimulated by IMF, the privatization in Thai telecommunication industry-a prerequisite for
liberalization and one of the conditions for Thai economy restructuring-must be implemented in the
short term in the future.
From the national level to the organizational level, overall, the Telephone Organization of Thailand
(TOT), one of the two state-owned monopolies in Thai telecommunication sector, has been affected
by this privatization in terms of regulatory change and industry restructuring; together with
technology development especially the convergence of data communication (internet-based) and
mobile (30-digital) technologies, which lead to the increasing customer needs.
Concerning about the changing environment and the nature of the business (technology-intensive), the
research study was conducted to identify the impacts of the privatization on TOT's technological
strategy context (customer expectation, organizational capability, and competitive advantage), and
finally, provide recommendations to its management for more effective technological strategic move
during and after the transition period.
To achieve the research targets, the study consists of external and internal technological environment
analysis. These works was mainly done through interviews with internal experts, and organizational
capability re-assessment by using the model and criteria proposed by Piarabutr in 1997, as well as, the
model of ten steps of technology strategy formulation.
Finally, the study shows that TOT is weak in the areas of advanced technology and marketing
activities, which are the critical requirement for future competition. Therefore, major gaps and
shortfalls in its technological activities. To fill the gaps or to fulfill the technological opportunities,
practical recommendations, which are for its future services, and more competitive corporate
governance and business activities were identified. The recommendation for strategic move of TOT in
form of merger with CAT was also criticized. Lastly, for its sustainable development for its roles as
network and service provider, recommendations for building future core competency in technological
and non-technological perspectives (including partnership capability) were commented in this study. |