BANGKOK, 21 November 2014 – The National Reform Council committee on local administrative affairs is yet to discuss the details of the reform plans due to the complexity of the issue.
According to Chair of the NRC committee on local administrative affairs Pongpayom Wasaputi, a former Interior Ministry permanent secretary, the committee has not discussed in detail the planned reforms for Thailand’s local administration.
Mr. Pongpayom conceded that local administrative reforms are complicated even after the government’s decentralisation efforts in the past years.
Nevertheless, he believes that such a reform will be attainable if the central government really steps back and allows local administrative offices to work independently and with high level of public participation.
Mr. Pongpayom added that while the NRC will be able to come up with the directives to complete the reforms within the next 12 months, the success of the overhaul will largely depend on the civil society participation to help solve any problem faced by the people of Thailand.
