Phuket MP Somchart Techathavorncharoen is spearheading the people-powered push to pass the Phuket Metropolitan Administration Act, with a goal of collecting 10,000 citizen signatures ‒ the constitutional threshold for submitting a draft law to Parliament.
MP Somchart announced the petition at an event to explain the move and the need for Phuket to have greater autonomy held last Saturday (July 26).
Under the draft law, Phuket people would elect their own Governor, MP Somchart noted.
“I plan to visit all 17 subdistricts [tambon] in Phuket to gather support,” he said. “We will launch the petition in mid-August, and we will announce the details as soon as they become available.
“Anyone with a Thai 13-digit ID card from anywhere in the country can sign in support. If we gather more than 10,000 names, even better,” Mr Somchart said. “It is open to anyone who believes in and supports decentralisation.”
Mr Somchart emphasised that decentralisation is the only way to break the cycle of corruption embedded in Thailand’s centralised system. “Corruption happens most where power is concentrated ‒ at the centre. That’s why it’s time to transfer power to the people,” he said.
He warned that fears about local corruption are often used to resist reform, but argued that local governance allows for greater accountability.
“If a corrupt official lives in Phuket, people can knock on their door and protest. But when power comes from Bangkok, there’s no access, no accountability. The people are left powerless,” he added.
The proposed law would allow Phuket to elect its own governor and take over decision-making powers currently held by central ministries, including issuing permits and managing infrastructure.
MP Somchart said this would help unblock long-delayed development, such as the light rail project, stalled for decades due to reliance on Bangkok’s budget and approvals.
“For 20-30 years we’ve been stuck. To improve the infrastructures, we need approval from the Phuket forestry office, the national parks office, the expressway authority ‒ everything has to go through Bangkok. That’s why nothing gets done,” he told The Phuket News.
MP Somchart collaborated with the Phuket Citizens Council and national legal experts to draft the bill. He emphasised that unlike previous decentralisation discussions, this is the first serious legal draft for Phuket, written with public input and legal oversight.
While 20 MPs could agree to submit the bill, he insists on pushing it through as a true people’s draft to prevent rejection from political motives.
“If any party rejects this bill, they’re rejecting the 10,000 citizens behind it. That reveals who truly supports decentralisation ‒ and who doesn’t,” he said
He added that public scrutiny would be stronger under local rule, as oversight agencies like the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) and the Phuket Provincial Audit Office can better track corruption when power is decentralised and closer to the people.
“Developed countries began with decentralisation. If we want real change, we must stop fearing it and be open to a new system,” MP Somchart said.
PHUKET NEEDS CONTROL
Fellow Phuket MP Chalermpong Saengdee also joined the call for decentralisation, citing Phuket as a glaring example of the failure of Thailand’s centralised administrative system.
“If there is any province that reflects the deformity of government under central control, it’s Phuket,” MP Chalermpong said. “It’s time for Phuket to take care of itself.”
Phuket, the country’s top tourism province, generated nearly B500 million (B497,523.93 mn) in income from tourism in 2024, attracting around 13-14 million visitors, he said.
“Yet the province still suffers from outdated infrastructure, severe traffic congestion and development bottlenecks ‒ problems that, I think, could have been solved long ago if the power and budget were in local hands,” he said.
“The problem isn’t money or capability ‒ Phuket generates more than enough income. The problem is that the budget and decision-making power sit in Bangkok, with people who don’t live here and don’t face the consequences of these delays,” he added.
“Every time we want to fix something, we must submit a proposal to the central government and wait ‒ often just to be ignored or postponed until the next budget year. Meanwhile, problems pile up,” MP Chalermpong explained.
A case in point: 14 urgent infrastructure projects valued at B1.19 billion (B1,197,870,200) are still awaiting funding. While some may be included in future budgets for fiscal years 2026 or 2027, the province continues to wait.
“Phuket generated nearly B500mn last year, yet we’re still begging Bangkok to approve a budget for urgent projects ‒ because the power to solve our own problems isn’t in our hands,” MP Chalermpong told The Phuket News.
He stressed that this is not just a Phuket issue but nationwide. Under the current system, only minor decisions are left to local administrative organisations, while major decisions remain in the hands of governors appointed by the central government.
“We have been elected by people or locals from the area, but the most important decisions are still made by people we never voted for. This structure of ‘provinces within provinces’ is the root of the problem,” he said.
To address this, Chalermpong advocated for allowing Phuket residents to elect their own governor ‒ a move he believes would ensure that local problems are prioritised and solved more effectively.
He said Phuket residents have been ready to elect their own leadership for years and that decentralisation must go beyond symbolic reforms.
MP Chalermpong said that he sees the proposed Phuket Metropolis Act as the first step toward enabling the island to manage its own affairs and reach its full potential.
“We must move toward a genuine decentralisation model, where provinces control their own budgets, staff, and development direction. Phuket must be allowed to design its own future,” he concluded.