• Decentralisation in Thailand
• Objective of this chapter
After this class, the students will be able to:
• describe history of decentralisation in Thailand;
• understand main purposes of decentralisation in Thiland;
• know Thailand’s decentralisation plan;
• know and understand limitations and problems in Thailand’s decentralisation.
• History of Decentralisation in Thailand
• Decentralisation was first introduced in Thailand in 1897 in response to the colonisation of neighbouring countries.
• The main purpose of decentralisation was as a means of strengthening and maintaining control of central government.
• To prevent any loss of the authority over Thailand’s region.
• As a result, Thai national administrative system has been characterised by a ‘Top-Down’ Approach and a strong central government.
• The Thai nation state developed in a way that was dominated by central government.
• The evolution of
Thailand’s decentralisation
• Under King Chulalongkorn’s bureaucratic reforms of 1892, decentralisation was not introduced because Thailand needed to strengthen central government to ensure control of the national administration system rather than risking decentralisation.
• The administrative reforms of 1892 then only focused on the national administration system.
• This made the policy made by central government could be implemented more effectively.
• However, the main purpose was to make certain the Thai central government was empowered, and had sufficient strength, to remain an independent nation state, and so protect itself from colonialism.
• The national administrative
reforms during King Chulalongkorn‘s regime were not only
a foundation, but also
a turning point towards
the present administrative system.
• Soon after the reform agenda was announced making Thailand sent higher-level government officials abroad on a tour of inspection to gain ideas for reform.
• Government at the provincial level was also subject to change to make theadministrative system more effective.
• One development at the provincial administration level was the establishment of the sanitary district administration and the provincial sanitary district administration.
• The function of the sanitary district or ‘Sukhaphiban’, was to oversee the
sanitary provisions for both urban and rural districts.
• While the ‘Sukhaphiban’ of Bangkok‘ was the first urban sanitary district, ‘Tha Chalom‘ was the first rural sanitary district that was established eight years later in 1905.
• After the Tha Chalom‘ sanitary district was initiated, the Sanitary Management Act was launched in 1908.
• Under this Act, the Sukhapiban was divided into 2 types: ‘Sukhaphiban Muang’ at the town level and ‘Sukhaphiban Tambon‘ at the Subdistrict level.
• Decentralisation in the 21st Century
• Since being first introduced to Thailand in 1897, decentralisation has been the subject of discussion.
• And later, the 1994 TAO Act was required because the structure of the Tambon council and SAO did not genuinely decentralise nor provide or result in the desired level of opportunities for the local people to participate.
• There had been ongoing problems caused by the appointment of officials from central and provincial government to key positions of control at local government.
• After little progress in promoting decentralisation to the local level, more
emphasis was given to it in the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand, of 1997. Chapter V, Section 78 of the Constitution states:
“The State shall decentralise power to localities for the purpose of independence and self-determination of local affairs, develop local economics, public utilities and facilities systems and information infrastructure in the locality thoroughly and equally throughout the country as well as develop into a large-sized local government organisation a province ready for such purpose, having regard to the will of people in that province.”
Source: The Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand B.E. 2540 (1997).
• According to the Plan for Decentralisation of Power to the Locality, there has three substantial principles to be considered:
1) autonomy;
2) clear delineation;
3) efficiency
• These three principles are basic ideas of decentralisation because a central government needs to transfer powers and responsibilities to provide social services to the local government organisation, so it can directly and freely serve the needs of the people in the local area.
• As a result, local government has needed greater autonomy in planning and implementing its own public services. Central government can then ensure quality and standardised public services are provided to the people in the locality.
• Thailand’s decentralisation plan
• In the 1997 Constitution and the Determining Plans and Process of Decentralisation to Local Government Organisation Act, B.E. 2542 (1999), the government set out a decentralisation plan for local government.
• The 1999 Act sets out how local government organisation should proceed;
The transferred missions relating to the public services managed by the State on the date of enforcement of this Act to local government organisation with the period of time as follows:
(a) The overlap missions between the State and local government organization or the mission provided by the State in the area of local government organization, the proceeding shall be complete within four years.
(b) The missions provided by the State in the area of local government organization which impacted to other local government organizations, the proceeding shall be complete within four years.
(c) The missions proceeded under the government policy, the proceeding shall be complete within four years.
• The decentralisation plan was divided into three different periods;
In the first period, 2001-2004, there were two steps to carry out:
1) a restructuring of internal administrative system at local government level, including central and provincial administrative systems, developing strategy for decentralisation;
2) to have the staff, the revenue, and the relevant law ready before carrying out the transfer of responsibilities.
• In the second period, 2005 to 2010, the transfer of authority took place.
While the administrative roles of each of the central, provincial and local government levels were transformed.
• The issues of the relationship between the three government levels, as well as the relevant law and procedures were reviewed to allow the local government organisation work more effectively.
• In the third period, after 2011, decentralisation is expected to happen
across all localities. The government expects local people will have a better standard of living due to the public services being provided at the local level.
• It is also expected that they will participate and cooperate more in local government activities.
• Another expectation is that the local government organisation will have more capabilities in order to implement policy more effectively.
• After ten years of power transformation, the local government organisations will have more autonomy as well as more revenue to implement policies.
• In addition, with their experience gained from the second period, local government organisations must be able to work more effectively.
• Limitations in Thailand’s decentralisation
• The moves to centralisation and strengthening central government during King Chulalongkorn’s reign were later to cause problems to decentralisation.
• This happens because the government at lower levels, especially at the local level had to participate more and it is necessary that a development from the bottom is needed to take place.
• The government has been working to promote decentralisation but still has difficulty with it and Thailand continues to deal with the long-standing tradition of overcentralisation.
• Activity
• Discuss why after the reform agenda was announced, Thailand had to send higher-level government officials abroad on a tour of inspection and the out come of deentralisation in Thailand was unsuccessful.