The document outlines a proposed 6-month "Bangkok Beta" pilot program to prototype strategies for building Thailand's digital economy and tech startup ecosystem. It would assemble a dream team to research and implement proven "low hanging fruit" solutions over 4 months, with an initial 1-month planning period and 1-month wrap-up period. A 3-day design lab with an advisory panel would deeply dive into 5 key challenges, and small diversified groups would tackle each challenge. The goal is to test drive solutions, engage stakeholders, and keep momentum going to successfully launch Thailand 3.0.

1. SMART NATION- Bangkok Beta - Government meets design
Powered by Anix Lynch
at the request of Board Committee of Digital Economy
Sep 2015

2. 2
@anixlynch
Engage. Minimum Viable Product. Disrupt!
Prototyping a new Economy
Finding “Best Practices” to build a “Tech Ecosystem” is easy.
Problem comes from Localization, Prioritization and Engagement of all the
right parties to really deliver on promises.
We are in the right place and the right time to prototype Smart Thailand 3.0
(Ver.1, aka ”Digital Economy”) Failure is part of a journey, but also a door to
breakthroughs. The risk is highest if we do nothing.
Bangkok Beta
@anixlynch

3. 3
@anixlynch
IMPACT* 2025
of Thailand’s GDP’s contributed by tech startups (*+USD$19B)
Valuation equals to 5% of current SET stock exchange value in 2015
(50B valuation)
Startups created
Scale-ups >
$1B Valuation
(Superstar)
Jobs created
Effect in Economy
Startups
Superstars
Jobs
Economic Impact
* Globalise LLC has created a model to assess the economic impact in the economy of tech startup
While the model shows linearity and direct output based on input, this is unlikely to be the case due to the very nature of startups, where a black swan like Uber can add up to a valuation larger than all the other
startups combined, so it is a numbers game that can change from one year to another. However the model helps us understand risk and reward mechanisms and help us make decisions.
43,000 jobs
1-2 Unicorns, 30 centaurs
2,500 startups created
20-50B USD, mostly from top unicorns.
Attraction of tech multinationals. New type of foreigner. Talent
growth for traditional enterprise. higher general productivity
5%
Assumption:

4. 4
@anixlynch
Deep dive and test drive
the key changes for Thailand
Regula*ons Capital Open
Market One
lead
agency Talents
Remove obstacles
Add incentives
Early Stage accelerator and
seed funding (>$20M USD)
Sufficient follow-on round
(> $250M USD)
Capital for traditional
companies R&D
2nd time entrepreneurs angel
investment: Smart Money
Angels:
See SEIS program in UK
Registration/Exit market
Diversity/Immigration
FDA/FTA/IP/R&D
Investor protections
Private Equity Laws
Intellectual Property Law
enforcement
Ease of doing business
Low regulation zone (Drones,
Sharing Economy, Bitcoin,
freedom of speech)
High transparency
Lean operation
For entrepreneur by entrepreneur
Centralized authority
No silos
No redundancy
Shared mutual goal
One stop shop
One Shared Goal: entrepreneurs first!
Why our most
successful
entrepreneurs are
setting up their holding
companies in HK or
SG? and exit in Japan?
Homegrown.
Imported (Engineer, talents)
Call back diaspora.
STEM reform
Support Wannaprenuers
Silicon Valley Ambassadors
Entrepreneur visa
Risk Taking Culture
Maximize Research/University
English!

5. 5
@anixlynch
2025 Milestones
Plan pilot through
user-led design,
Bangkok Beta MVP
2016
DIY dream team
>100 startups per year
High Volume of startups
2017
2018
2019
2020
2025
Thai lead agency is
formed
by alliance of private
sectors
High-profile
investors decide to
move to Thailand
Large companies set
R&D centers in
Bangkok
Over 100,000
English speaking
engineers
2015
High volume of
high quality
startups
Active trade sale of
deals over $200M
Center of ”Agri Tech”
“Mobile Tech”
“SE Tech”
Birth of
“Google of Food”
Prefer AEC
over China and India.
Entrepreneurship
become a desirable
career choice
Phase 1: Expense. Investment
Fully support until ecosystem becomes self sustained
Phase 2:
Revenue.
Social Impact
Futuristic and affordable
co-working space
opens right in
downtown BKKFull year-round
accelerators, events
Thai first unicorn
Corporate VCs/FTA
are considered as
alternatives to in-
house R&D
>$200M Fund of
Funds are
announced on
TechCrunch
Free English, STEM,
Growth Hacking
courses become
available
World class university
setup in Bangkok
Thai unicorns
become MNCs
Diaspora /Veteran mentors
/2nd time entrepreneur
returns to be a force in the
digital economy
Thailand launches
VC-friendly matching
scheme
Top 10 Ease of doing
business index
Top 15 Ease of starting
business index
Better ranked than
Malaysia
AirBnb acquihire
Thai startup. Set
developer base in
Bangkok to
dominate tourism
sector
Visualize Thai new economy
“Thai entrepreneur visa”
rank high in
Google’s search

6. 6
@anixlynch
Game on!
UK
Got $300K? Love FinTech? 3 years visa!
Chile
Government gives away $40K
without taking equity!
China
Heavily subsidized. Tencent launched +
100M USD Corporate VC. Alibaba is
actively hiring female MBAs who speak
Chinese. Business can be started in 4 days.
Let’s skip HK!
Japan
Gree. Rakuten. Softbank set up offices in
the U.S. Abe PM sent 200 representatives
from Japanese old-fashioned companies
to the Valley to learn and later come back
to reform Japan.
Secure $93K and be recognized as
high potential startup to get 2 year visa
Ireland
Singapore
Hungry for knowledge? MIT.
General Assembly. TechStars ,
JFDI. BASH, Plug n Play, ASTAR
Canada
Permanent Visa granted only by
securing $45K of grant from angel
investor.
Malaysia
MAGIC. Stanford, Grabtaxi!
Diasporas are welcomed!
“The Race” to attract the stars
Create 3 full time job to get 2 years
visa. No fancy business plan is
required.
New Zealand

7. 7
@anixlynch
Top 5 Winners
2015 USA
Singapore
Israel
Ireland
UK
Source: Compass, Aug 2015
@anixlynch

8. 8
@anixlynch
Same as the World Cup..
building an innovative country
is about battling for superstars..
Unicorn
$1B+ in value
Centaurs
$100M+ in value
Little Pony
$10M+ in value

9. 9
@anixlynch
Real Madrid :
Getting Google’s Full Attention?
2010
ENISA: Debt to
startups and R&D of
Companies.
1000s companies
funded
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
First exits
edreams, buyvip
(amazon).
Spain in the map.
FondICO to
support VCs
2 year-old
Wallapop
become
the First unicorn
SpainStartup
Manifesto
100,000 engineers
per year.
New private
universities and
Hackademies
Start to think about
Startups. Request of
law changes.
GoogleCampus
setup in Madrid
TetuanValley,
SeedRocket,
StartupBootcamp,
Telefonica Wayra
accelerators
Free co-working
spaces across the
country
UPM, UPC top
engineering schools,
initiate startup
competitions
IE, IESE, top MBA
schools, initiate
startup competition
Free Legal support
offices
Entrepreneur Visa
VCs setup in Spain,
Barcelona: Kibo,
ActiveVP
Telefonica Amerigo
300m fund of funds
Diaspora back from
500startups, etc.
Mentorship.
Barcelona Mobile
World Congress
Exodus of
engineers to UK,
USA, employees
at top startups
Spain Startup
Summit
2008
Law of Entrepreneurs.
Ease to start a company

10. 10
@anixlynch
Silicon Valley - The Storyboard
’79-‘96
Led by Netscape
Cisco, Apple+100
firms were active
’97-‘00
’01-‘08
’09-‘13
2014
2015
Xerox, Apple
Internet
commercialization
Semi-conductor
Boom
+50 firms
Subprime Crisis
Circuit
commercialized
Stanford, Nasa,
HP, US Defense
Internet Bubble
50s-70s
Cold War
New Power Rule:
+100 social media firms
Crowd wisdom.
sharing economy,
casual T-Shirt
Harvard/MIT rejected
offers from McKinsey
and JP Morgan to
launch a start-up
UBERISM
We are an Uber of “—“
Add the word
“Tech” on everything
FinTech, InsureTech,
RetailTech, AdTech
HBO’s hit show
“Silicon Valley”
FB - Oculus VR
the future of
Mobile and TV?
Alibaba
Biggest Ever IPO
Obama hired +140
Silicon Valley geeks
at White House!
Everyone wants to
work at Google
YouTube disrupted
schooling
Just “Google it!”

11. 11
@anixlynch
Israel:
The Pioneer. The Coach
International
Cooporation e.g SIIRD
Import goods
exempt from BAT
and indirect tax
Support R&D Centers
of foreign companies
Employment Grants
Birth of technology
applied by Google,
IBM, Microsoft
Launch of Yozma
program
Pre-competitive and
long term R&D, e.g..
MAGNET, TLEM
Entrepreneurs
and Government
jointed effort in
building economic
miracles
Tel Aviv University
becomes an
innovation machine.
20% Investment
grants. R&D and tax
benefits
World’s 2nd most
innovative country
Pre-seed and seed
program (e.g.
TNUFA, NIBN, Life
Science Fund)
Eliat Free Trade
Zone
Offer World-class
Education
Found
technologies for
earth sustainability
(Water, Food
Cyber security,
medical etc )
Inspire
“Entrepreneurship”
around
the world
Leader - Smart City

12. 12
@anixlynch
Singapore:
2002*
2006*
2008*
2010*
2014
2015
IDA (Government) run
by American Tech
Business man
Steve Leonard
No.1 Asia’s
SMART NATION
Free IP
40M funded
to regional VCs
Government
opened startup
branch in
Silicon Valley
Launch of I Jam
and accelerators
Singapore startup
received follow-on
investment by U.S top
VC Sequoia >7x return
1995
Put Southeast Asia on the World’s Geek Map
Over $2B to attract
top US VCs
Private Equity
Hedge Fund Law
reform
NOC Program by NUS
TIS Matching Scheme
by National Research
Foundation
Free co-working space
at Block 71 as
“Singapore’s
Silicon Valley”
The 1st Exit
Top University set up
campus in Singapore
Min Kian and
Tony Tan started to
work on startup
Started ACE
Startup investment
S$1.7B
S$8 M digital
inclusion fund
Started IIPL’s iGazelle
One Stop Shop
enterpriseone.gov.sg
MIT launched
program in
Singapore
Not working
Tried again
97% access to
computer
87% access to
broadband
Japanese funds rushed
to Singapore
>146,000 tech talents
(corporate partner, NICF)
>8,800 data
release to public as
data.gov.sg,
OneMap.
*Estimated Year

13. 13
@anixlynch
Government is partially
run by non-Singaporean,
business man, geeks
and entrepreneurs
Big fishes and small fishes
support each other.
Healthy ecosystem
Free market. The more
competitors the better.
Social
Recognition
PM honors
entrepreneurs and tech
ecosystem contributors.
VCs are recognized as
“Innovation
Management Pro”
English!!
Expat over 5M.
English is an official
language.
Broken Singlish OK!
Ambassadors&
Entrepreneurs
to The Valley
Friendly
Competition
Accumulation of small things that changed big things
Singapore’s cultural makeover
Government
Diversity &
Informality
To learn, to bridge, to
convince top VCs, MNCs,
startups and diasporas to
start in Singapore.
“If Japanese can speak English, even
broken English,.. Japan will leave
Singapore and China in the dust”
Mikitani Hiroshi, Rakuten CEO,
Abenomics Advisory Board
”Power to Compete”. April 2015
“Entrepreneurs are the modern age
Warriors”
Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew: The Grand Master's Insights on China,
the United States, and the World, February 2013
“it’s not just of talent but of insatiable questioning of
authority, of determined informality”
Senor, Dan; Singer, Saul
Start-up Nation: The Story of Israel's Economic
Miracle ”, September 2011

14. 14
@anixlynch

15. 15
@anixlynch
Partially agreed. Not sure
Thailand-only headache
Only genius knows
(Breakthrough opportunities here!)
Low Hanging Fruit-
Proven solutions
Most solutions are already known and proven
Ride the learning curve of others
Focus on “Low Hanging Fruit” (LHF) execution
Re-group short/mid/long term solutions
1 year
3-5 years
10 years
LHFs
Partially Agreed
Only genius knows
Thailand-only
headache

16. 16
6 month-bangkok beta
Assemble Dream Team
Gearing
team
5
people
to
Plan.Do.
Research.
(1
month)
PreparaBon
closely
with
True.
Set
advanced
assumpBons
(5
keys)
to
finalize
Advisory
Panel
members
Engage
3rd
party
facilitators
,secretary
team
(Legal,
Finance)
and
government.
1st MVP
Wrap
up
2nd
MVP
prep
(1
month)
Executors
and
stakeholders
incenBves
design.
Engage.
Keep
the
momentum
going!
Prototyping
Implement
LHFs
Test
drive
(4
months)
Re-­‐assess
(1
month)
Design Lab 3 days
Panel
and
gear
team
to
deep
dive
into
5
keys
challenges.
Re-­‐group
problems.
Re-­‐adjust
Bmeline/KPI/
Milestones
Engage
executors
Set
budget
to
execute
LHFs
@anixlynch

17. 17
@anixlynch
With
ecosystem
building
experience
in:
USA,
France,
Spain,
UK,
Israel,
Malaysia,
Singapore,
Indonesia,
Ireland,
Japan
5 champions each from each quadrant, breakdown into small diversified groups
each to tackle 5 key challenges for 3 days in Bangkok, facilitated by world-class facilitator
Mix of advisory panel to come to BKK
Governments
Singapore.
Thailand.
Israel
Academics
Private
MNCs
+
Tech
Entrepreneurs
VCs/Accelerators
MREP
MIT
(Entrepreneurship)
Tel
Aviv
(Tech)
Chicago
(Economics,
Public
Policy)
NUS
(Block
71)
Sasin
or
KMUTT
(LocalizaBon)
Khaffman(VC
Investment)
From
pony
to
unicorn,
both
domesBc
and
overseas.
MNCs
Khun
Supachai

18. 18
@anixlynch
- Great research. Cool stats. Nice presentation.
- Analytics of public data by management experts.
- Limited implementation
- End Product = Research and recommendation
- Less interactive learning process
- Relying on top down
- One size fits all.
- Project can be abandoned due to low engagement
- Strategic influence. 6 month beta. Low Hanging Fruit first.
- Analytics by ecosystem experts/entrepreneurs
- Motivate executors through ownership of solutions.
- Localization and country fit-focused
- End Product= Champions who can potentially run. MVP
- Grow what works. Repeat
- Impact through interactive process.
- Facilitated by world’s top tier executive academics
- Localized by experts with experience with Thai governments
- Executor-thinker. Bottom up.
- Ecosystem building experience over 15 years.
- Proven record of execution
Traditional Our approach

19. 19
@anixlynch
To be disclosed and selected after project assignment. Daily rate/Flights of advisory panels are included
Advisory Panel/Potential Operators (N= 20)
SAMPLE
FRAMEWORK

20. 20
Insert your picture here!
LEGACY!

21. 21
@anixlynch
SAMPLE
KEY
CHALLENGES
ASSESSMENT
(TALENT)

22. 22
@anixlynch
SAMPLE
CURRENT
MARKET
ANALYSIS

23. 23
@anixlynch
SAMPLE
COUNTRY
FIT
ANALYSIS

24. 24
@anixlynch
SAMPLE
GDP
IMPACT
ASSESSMENT
* Globalise LLC has created a model to assess the economic impact in the economy of tech startup
While the model shows linearity and direct output based on input, this is unlikely to be the case due to the very nature of startups, where a black swan like Uber can add up to a valuation larger than
all the other startups combined, so it is a numbers game that can change from one year to another. However the model helps us understand risk and reward mechanisms and help us make decisions.

25. 25
Some of the below items can potentially be managed through ground level change, but also effective public relations
exercises. The first item, for example, is not going to change overnight. That said, the policy of attracting in-bound
investment, for example, has been a stable policy despite changes in government. This message can be
underscored in communications about the proposed program. An equally important communication may be that
many of the macro political and economic factors referenced below will be addressed for the program, by putting in
place effective counter measures. That is, ring-fencing the program with effective governmental controls, private
sector involvement, governance etc. In short, the program becomes an example of what Thailand CAN do, with the
effectiveness of the program (governance etc.) expanding out across the economy generally in terms of private
sector activity and governmental behaviours. Structuring an effective program in a new and limited sector is easier
than changing an entire economy and political framework.
1. Political and policy instability
(a) This will negatively impact the ability to attract capital; venture capital, in particular.
(b) Overly interventionist, policy driven governments – particularly one that is military – are of concern to investors, as
such intervention distorts market efficiency and predictability (witness the current concern over China). There is a
need to underscore policy consistency in Thailand, and a government focused on facilitating the investment / tech
ecosystem, with private sector involvement in picking the “winners”.
(c) The concomitant security concern also:
(i) creates additional investment risk that impacts both the willingness to invest, and pricing; and
(ii)is a disincentive to attract and retain talented human capital.
(d) It should be highlighted, however, that despite the lack of political stability, there has been relative policy stability in
respect of investment and the innovation.
2. Excessive red tape and lack of transparency
(a) Although Thailand has improved its global competitiveness ranking, “inefficient government bureaucracy” is still
ranked highly as the most problematic factor for doing business in Thailand.
(b) Bureaucracy, especially if lacking in transparency is a disincentive to invest or locate in a country due to the
increased set up costs and the perceived risk of uncertainty.
(c) There are a number of organisations in Thailand involved in innovation type activities – both government
departments and private sector. A central coordinating authority should greatly improve economic and
administrative delivery efficiencies and transparency.
3. Failure to attract and retain human capital
(a) Lack of repatriation incentives for Thai expats with relevant experience overseas
(b) Lack of incentives to attract foreign workers with relevant experience
(c) Complexity / unwarranted hurdles in obtaining a VISA
4. Failure to continue and expand improvement in the legal / regulatory regime in Thailand
(a) Corruption, is a significant concern amongst investors and businesses that might seek to locate in
Thailand.
(b) Lack of adequate intellectual property protection is also a concern, particularly if the innovation focus is
on business that are largely driven by development of intellectual property. Singapore’s IP regime is a
strong incentive to technology-based start-ups to locate there, along with the attractive tax regime
around IP.
5. Failure to distinguish itself from competitor markets: Singapore, U.S., Israel, and hence losing the
competitive battle
(a) In short, Thailand needs to be seen as either best in class against what Singapore, the U.S. and Israel
do, or as a viable alternative because of what it can offer that the others do not (or cannot). Examples
of this might be: a strong relationship with China and Chinese capital, a gateway to South East Asia
Ibid., p.360.
See fn 4.
Thailand scores 38 on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index 2014, https://
www.transparency.org/cpi2014/results, sighted 28 July 2015. “0” being highly corrupt and “100” being very clean.
By comparison in the Asia Pacific region, Indonesia scores 34, China 36, Sri Lanka 38, Malaysia 52, Hong Kong
74, Japan 76, Australia 80 and Singapore 84. Thailand’s score of 38 is a marginal worsening from its score of 35
in 2013 and 37 in 2012. Relative to other countries, however, it has raised its ranking to 85 out of 174 countries,
from 102 in 2013.
Corruption ranks as the number one most problematic factor for doing business in Thailand: World Economic
Forum, Op. Cit.1. p.360.
Thailand ranks 104 out of 144 countries for intellectual property protection, with a score of 3.1 out of 7: World
Economic Forum, Op. Cit.1., p.361. Singapore, on the other hand, ranks at 2.
See: EY Global Tax Insights, “As and IP Hub, Singapore Can Offer More”, https://taxinsights.ey-vx.com/archive/
archive-articles/as-an-ip-hub-singapore-can-offer-more.aspx, sighted 28 July 2015.
Barrier to delivery
& Disclaimer

26. SMART NATION- Bangkok Beta
You don’t have to be great to start, you have to start to be great