This academic conference concerns the development and promotion of open-source software for geospatial technology. It was first held on 12–14 September 2004 as the “FOSS-GRASS User Conference,” organized by the Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, to promote the use of open-source geospatial software. Since then, the FOSS4G Conference has been held annually, rotating among regions including Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas. The Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo) serves as the main organizer together with geospatial organizations in each region. Its focus is to promote, disseminate and develop open-source geospatial software and free geospatial data, encouraging the use of geospatial systems in various areas of national development. Organizations are also able to hold national or local conferences based on the same principles.
In Thailand, an academic conference named “FOSS4G Thailand 2019” was held on 23–24 July 2018, organized by the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) and i-bitz Co., Ltd. Activities included lectures by Thai and international experts, workshops led by specialists from various fields, a GIS Hackathon, and a 5-kilometer networking run. More than 300 interested participants joined the activities. [Translator’s note: the original article gives the year 2018 for an event named “2019”; both are retained here.]
In 2019, to sustain and strengthen the geospatial developer community, and to mark the 15th anniversary of the first FOSS4G workshop at Chulalongkorn University, the organizers proposed returning to the conference’s original venue. The theme was “(geo) DATA, the heart of solution,” emphasizing that spatial data are essential to sustainable development. Associate Professor Phisan Santitamnont delivered the opening remarks.