and Technology Policy (No. 3), B.E. 2548 (2005) shall be the Board under this Act de tempore until the new Board has been appointed under this Act, provided that this shall not exceed one hundred twenty days as from the date of the entry into force of this Act. Section 40. In the initial period, the person holding the post of President of the National Science and Technology Development Agency under the Science and Technology Development Act, B.E. 2534 (1991) on the date of the entry into force of this Act shall act as Secretary-General until the appointment of the Secretary-General has been made under this Act. Section 41. During the pendency of the appointment of the qualified members under section 19, the Executive Committee shall consist of ex officio members under section 19. Section 42. All powers, duties, affairs, property, rights, liabilities and budgets of the Policy and Strategy Bureau of the Office of the Permanent-Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology insofar as they are concerned with the works involving the national policy and plan on science and technology and the works involving the preparation of relevant information which are in existence on the date of the entry into force of this Act shall be transferred to the Office under this Act. Any government officials or employees of the Policy and Strategy Bureau of the Office of the Permanent-Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology performing the work in connection with the affairs transferred under paragraph one who voluntarily elect to become officials or employees of the Office shall declare their intention in writing to their superiors within ninety days as from the date of the entry into force of this Act and, upon passing the selection or appraisal under the rule prescribed by the Executive Committee, shall be admitted by the Office as officials or employees of the Office. The Government officials leaving the Government service for the purpose of a transfer of the status into officials of the Office under paragraph two shall be deemed as having been instructed to leave the Government service by reason of the cancellation or dissolution by the Government of official positions under the law on gratuities and pensions of Government officials or the law on Government Officials Provident Fund, as the case may be. The employees of the Government agency transferred into becoming employees of the Office under paragraph two shall be deemed as leaving the service by reason of the Government’s cancellation or dissolution of official positions or termination of employment without fault and shall be entitled to gratuities in accordance with the rule of the Ministry of Finance on gratuities of employees. Section 43. All powers, duties, affairs, property, rights, liabilities and budgets of the National Science and Technology Development Agency under the under the Science and Technology Development Act, B.E. 2534 (1991) insofar as they are concerned with the works involving national policy and plan on science and technology and the works involving the preparation of relevant information which are in existence on the date of the entry into force of this Act shall be transferred to the Office under this Act. Any officials of the National Science and Technology Development Agency performing the work in connection with the affairs transferred under paragraph one who voluntarily elect to become officials of the Office shall declare their intention in writing to their superiors within ninety days as from the date of the entry into force of this Act and, upon passing the selection or appraisal under the rule prescribed by the Executive Committee, shall be admitted by the Office as officials of the Office. The officials of the National Science and Technology Development Agency transferred into becoming officials of the Office under paragraph two shall be deemed as having been instructed to leave the service by reason of the cancellation or dissolution of official positions by the National Science and Technology Development Agency in accordance with the regulation of the National Science and Technology Development Board on personnel administration. 22
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Remarks: - The reason for the promulgation of this Act is as follows. As science and technology is a crucial factor for the development and the steering of economy and knowledge-based society as well as competitiveness of the country whilst Thailand lacks the development of science and technology in a manner that is systematic, efficient and responsive to rapid change and encounters the shortage of personnel equipped with knowledge and capability in science, technology and innovation, thus, in order to encourage Thai people to have logical and rational thinking, create good immunities in an attempt to reduce impacts from external and internal changes along the line of the sufficiency economy philosophy, which will lead to sustainable national development, and put forth well-roundedness and capability without excessive reliance on products, equipment and technology from foreign sources as well as put in place an agency functioning as a focal point for co-ordination amongst research institutes or educational institutions located domestically and overseas with a view to building up network institutes consortia aimed at developing personnel in science and technology possessing new bodies of knowledge to be utilised for solving problems in the production and services of the country, it is therefore necessary to enact this Act. For Thai scientists, there is an update issue will be launched soon. Please go www.cstp.or.th to learn more about the act and keep update.