 Breathtaking beaches, world-famous cuisine, Buddhist shrines…and design? It might not be the first thing that comes to mind when we think of Thailand, but over the past several years the Thai government has been working hard to change that. In response to an economic crisis of the late 1990’s and increased competition in the manufacturing and services sectors from rising powerhouses like China and India, Thailand embarked on an ambitious plan several years ago to bolster its economy by investing directly in the ingenuity of its people. The nation-wide program inspires citizens to use knowledge, skills, local traditions and technology to develop cultural assets into products and services.
To learn more about this strategy, we spoke with Dr. Narongchai Akrasanee, chairman of Thailand’s Office of Knowledge Management and Development (OKMD), the agency responsible for implementing the country’s design-driven economic revitalization. As Thailand’s former Minister of Commerce, the current director of several national research institutes, and a private business owner, Akrasanee has played an important role in his country’s educational and economic development. Since 2004, he has also served as the head of the Thailand Creative and Design Center, one of the key organizations established by the OKMD to make creative and intellectual resources accessible to all Thais.
MATTER: What is the Thailand Creative & Design Center?
NARONGCHAI AKRASANEE: The Thailand Creative & Design Center (TCDC) was founded in June 2004 as one of the divisions under the aegis of the Office of Knowledge Management and Development (OKMD) within the Office of the Prime Minister. The TCDC was established to serve as the country’s premier learning resource center for design and creativity, providing comprehensive knowledge of design-related matters. Our aim is to lead the Thais to step “out-of-the-box” by doing; and to survive the ever-changing world by using creativity and skills. As a “playground for creativity,” the TCDC aspires to trigger creative thinking and encourage the recognition of the value of design as a driver of change for a better economy, a better society and a better quality of life. It is a lifelong learning center for the public and professionals that fosters the development of products and services which offer the potential to create economic value through originality, quality and competitiveness
MATTER: How important is design for Thailand’s cultural and financial development?
 NA: Design is an essential component of business success. We serve as a bridge among key players so that together they can create high-quality goods and services and build sustainable businesses. Creativity is also often sparked by studying the experiences of others. We provide a forum for international and local creative entrepreneurs and designers to share experiences and find inspiration from one another. This dialogue propels the creative process and the transformation of design concepts into reality. The collaboration between entrepreneurs and designers fosters a creative network that is one of the keys to concrete success. This interaction can also promote the recognition of value and talent throughout the network, which then facilitates the creation of design thinking through coordination and collaboration.
MATTER: How has the TCDC helped to inspire creativity on an industrial level, in terms of manufacturing and product development?
NA: Ploy-Saeng Festival is part of the “Creative Thailand: Building Thailand’s Economy with Creativity.” It serves as an open forum for discussions between designers and potential investors that often lead to profitable outcomes. We ask the designers to think about three core concepts: Inspiration—where did the idea come from? Practical process—how can you turn this idea into reality? And, attraction—what is the idea’s “wow” factor?
TCDC is also at work on a project called “Handmade Profit,” which aims  to give a leg up to a whole new generation of Thai entrepreneurs. Experts in product development and brand strategy work closely with participants to upgrade the quality of their product and its distinctive characteristics. Selected goods are showcased at TCDC-sponsored exhibitions and are available at The Shop@TCDC.
TCDC Connect is an online community where creative entrepreneurs build their business network and find relevant news and information—from brand building strategies, new innovations and consumer trends and creative business management ideas to case studies that will affect design and business practice. It also offers learning resources for students who are interested in design and creative thinking, which may inspire their future careers.
MATTER: Is the TCDC primarily a resource for citizens in Bangkok? How has the center helped to inspire creativity and design in the country’s more rural or less affluent areas?
NA: It is always a challenge but miniTCDC is an ambitious joint project between TCDC and 13 regional universities. Its objective is to share knowledge and learning resources with local  students, professors, designers and entrepreneurs throughout the country. The scope of the project includes sourcing information on material and product development, textbooks and online databases including access to Material ConneXion's virtual library and touring exhibitions. Our new fully-fledged branch in Chiang Mai is scheduled to open its doors to the public in mid-2012. I believe that it will become the Center for design know-how and a hothouse of creative thinking in the northern part of Thailand.
MATTER: How does the TCDC make design more accessible to people? What types of educational resources and programming does the center provide?
NA: The Student Tour Program, which was organized to help students from all regions experience and open their creative vision, is one example. The program arranged 4-day, 4-night workshops for students with professionals. In 2009, 120 students from 15 universities participated. Also, we have the Visiting TCDC Program which offers participants an opportunity to visit TCDC facilities. 4,424 participants from 82 groups joined the program last year. My favorite is Music@TCDC, which is a program that gives aspiring young musicians and artists a platofrm to showcase their talents. There are also films and modern media presentations running from art-music collaborations to animation and music-painting events. Performances are held every weekend at the TCDC Creative Space.
 MATTER: How does a resource like Material ConneXion Bangkok at the TCDC support the development of new materials and respond to the needs to Thai designers?
NA: We are so fortunate to have Material ConneXion New York as our partner. Material ConneXion Bangkok not only contains over 5,000 material samples from all over the world for entrepreneurs and designers to research and source for their products, but it also acts as a channel to promote Thai products in global markets through its database and physical libraries in New York, Cologne, Milan, and Daegu.
The Bangkok branch actively searches for innovative Thai materials which are presented to the Selection Jury at Material ConneXion New York. As of today, 234 Thai materials from 135 companies have been added to the Material ConneXion database. With thousands of samples of design materials from all over the world, Material ConneXion is one of the most important resources for professionals and students researching materials for their own design ideas.
MATTER: Are there any upcoming activities for 2011 that you can share with us?
NA: We are about to launch a plan for next year that is called “Creative Future,” which is composed of four projects: Creative Entrepreneur, Creative Education, Creative City and Creative Knowledge. Part of the plan is for the TCDC to host the Asia Design Forum. We would like to provide an opportunity for international and local creative entrepreneurs to share experiences and then develop a creative network. M
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