By a Royal Decree which was promulgated on 18 October 2004, "Thailand International Development Cooperation Agency (TICA)" was established. The youngest department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, TICA is the successor of the Department of Technical and Economic Cooperation (DTEC) established by Royal Decree in 1950. DTEC was responsible for technical cooperation Thailand received from developed countries. DTEC worked closely with Thailand’s cooperating partners in supporting projects through all phases of their development from the planning to final evaluation stage. Since the last decade when Thailand achieved high economic growth and technological progress, Thailand has offered appropriate technological cooperation to other developing countries particularly, her neighbouring countries : Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam. DTEC was also responsible for all aspects of the technical cooperation Thailand receives from external cooperation partners. In an average year, DTEC advises the representatives of more than 60 foreign governments and international agencies; it administers over 90 million dollars worth of partnership program to Thailand and provides guidance and useful services to more than hundred projects and 580 foreign consultants.