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Phuket's new ICT Skills Development and Learning Centre.

ICT Centre Opens King's Birthday

Tuesday, December 4, 2007
For more King's Birthday events, use Search

THE DIRECTOR of the new Phuket ICT Skill Development and Learning Centre, Panupong Wanjantuk, says the island's ability to deal with new technoglogy is accelerating rapidly.

A high technology vision for the future is embodied in the new centre, which opens at the auspicious time of 11.09 am on December 5, the King's Birthday.

The 21.5 million baht centre, part of the sports complex at Saphan Hin seaside park in Phuket City, inclcudes multimedia and animation along with more basic computer and Internet skills.

It is the only the second centre of its kind in Thailand.

''We will have free courses for people who want to learn computer and Internet skills,'' he said. ''Six programs of different kinds will start this month.''

Foreigners as well as locals will also have access to training programs in English, with courses for professionals available.

The centre has 118 computers for teaching in several rooms, with the capacity to teach up to 40 students at once. Conference facilities for 200 people are also available, along with a library of technology and media books.

Photographic and design skills are also part of the centre's training base.

Khun Panupong, from Khon Kaen University, has previous experience at E-Saan Software Park, the first ICT program in Thailand.

The university has a memo of understanding with local authorities to manage the unit on the island and train about 10 local staff.

Chiang Mai is next in line after Phuket.

The centre's aim includes free courses and usage for monks, children under 15, people over 60 and the handicapped.

Others face a small fee of 10 baht an hour, including Internet access. This compares with 20 to 30 baht an hour charged at local island Internet cafes.

The centre, which has the financial backing and support of the Phuket City tessaban and Software Industry Promotion Agency (SIPA) will be open seven days a week from 9am to 8pm.

''I expect more than 50,000 people will use the centre in the first year,'' Khun Panupong told Phuketwan. ''There will be about 30 free training programs every 12 months. That should educate 1200 people at least.''

Those students were expected to drive development of the growing local computer and media industry, he said.

For more information about the new ICT centre, tel: 076 379009-13. Online: www.phuketict.org

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