Diagram 1: Thailand Intergovernmental Networks of Tsunami 2004 and Flood 2011
Management
Source: Kamolvej, 2006, 2012
Therefore, the article takes into account both single and collaborative
operations. Both national and local levels of emergency operations are expected to
have cooperation from each other. The approach of intergovernmental management
requires mutual understanding and partnership practice among all the agencies as well
as communities. Effective coordination is limited by spatial distance and simultaneous
operation. The use of information and computation technology produces virtual
access to the geographical area and facilitates continuous communication among the
agencies. This study explores the existing emergency management plans and
operations that are currently in practice. As the Thai government is working at both
national and local levels to accomplish the same goal of public safety by preparing
effective crisis and emergency management policies, officials will need to understand
their capability and limitations. This understanding will assist them in developing
alternative for improving their emergency structure and operations to manage states of
emergency more effectively and appropriately.
The complex adaptive system (CAS) model recognizes that social systems
engage in continuous learning and self-organization in reciprocal interactions with the
environment in which they are embedded (Comfort, 2000). Axelrod and Cohen (1999)
attempt to explore how the dynamism of a Complex Adaptive System can be used for
productive ends in order to help managers and policy makers harness complexity in
rapidly changing and hard-to-predict environments. CAS assumes an infrastructure for
communication and decision support among participants in the system along with the
flexibility to adapt to the changing conditions. Once the balance of the structure and
the flexibility is set, it is crucial to anticipate of the resistance to the transition. Change
in any one level may be perceived as a threat to the security and privileges at other
levels. Specifically, in a developing country, the characteristics of the bureaucratic