The event, organised by the Foundation for the Promotion of Local Administration in collaboration with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation of Thailand and the Andaman Natural Resources Conservation Foundation, was held at The Pago Design Hotel Phuket in Ratsada on Thursday (Aug 23)
The seminar, titled ‘Driving the Origin of the Provincial Governor: Proposals for the Form and Guidelines for the Appropriate Election of the Provincial Governor’, brought together various experts and representatives from various areas of society.
Samran Sinthong, Secretary of the Andaman Natural Resources Conservation Foundation, and Naphacharee Jiwananthaprawat, a representative of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation of Thailand, delivered the welcoming remarks and officially opened the event.
Key presentations included a discussion on the origin and future of the provincial governor role by Prof Dr Kowit Puangngam, project leader and representative of the Foundation for the Promotion of Local Administration, and Suthikiat Angkaburana, a project researcher. Contributions also came from Associate Professor Dr Kitchet Kraiwas, a member of the Academic Council of Walailak University, and Sutep Wuttisak, former Inspector-General of the Ministry of Interior.
Mr Samran highlighted the importance of the seminar in gathering diverse opinions and formulating a comprehensive approach to the election of provincial governors. He emphasised that the insights gathered would be crucial for future efforts to amend or improve the process.
Ms Naphacharee underscored the significance of local government in a democratic system, noting that decentralisation is essential for addressing the specific needs and problems of local communities.
She drew comparisons to European models, where local governments play a key role in self-management, suggesting that adopting similar principles in Thailand could greatly enhance local governance.
The seminar presented five proposed models for the election of provincial governors:
- Direct Election of Provincial Governors: Along with restructuring the administrative system to a two-tier structure.
- Direct Election with Limited Regional Power: Maintaining the position of the provincial governor as a central government representative but with reduced powers.
- Transfer of Power to Provincial Administrative Organisations: Electing provincial administrative organisation presidents instead of provincial governors, transferring duties, budgets, and resources accordingly.
- Pilot Elections in Ready Provinces: Testing the election of provincial governors in select provinces that are ready for this change.
- Hybrid Model: Combining elements of the current administrative structure with a new approach to electing provincial governors.
The seminar concluded with an emphasis on refining these models based on the feedback and opinions of participants, aiming to develop an election system that aligns with the needs and preferences of local communities, particularly in Phuket.
ECONOMIC SENSE
Phuket has for decades championed for its right for self-governance, with pleas falling on deaf ears in Bangkok. Ironically, it must be Bangkok officials who must approve Phuket’s right to elect its own governor, just as people in Pattaya do with Chonburi designated a Special Administrative Area.
At last report, Bangkok officials were entertaining the concept of Phuket Town alone being granted status as a special form of local government organisation.
Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat, himself a Bangkok-appointed official, voiced his support for Phuket to be given ‘special administrative status’, in April.
Governor Sophon highlighted the pressing need for Phuket to access greater fiscal autonomy. Currently constrained by a limited budget, he argued that the province’s development potential is stifled. Drawing parallels with the administrative structures of Pattaya and Bangkok, he proposed a reformed model whereby Phuket could assume greater control over taxation and budget allocation.
Under this proposed framework, Governor Sophon suggested the establishment of an elected provincial governor, empowered to oversee strategic management while also advocating for a revised system of budget allocation. He proposed a new mechanism by which a portion of provincial GDP and tax revenues would be reinvested locally, fostering healthy competition among provinces to drive economic growth.
While former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin was in Phuket on Apr 19, Wirintra Paphakityotphat, head of the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) Region 11 branch, which represents Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi, presented a list of four formal requests to the Prime Minister ‒ the first of which was to permit Phuket become a ‘Special Administrative Zone’ for the tourism industry in Phuket.
The request was for Phuket to receive a budget allocation of not less than 1-5% of the revenue generated by Phuket’s service and tourism sector that is currently handed over to the central government.
The Department of Tourism, under the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, would be responsible for ensuring any requirements were complied with, Ms Wirintra noted.
According to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Phuket welcomed 11.3mn visitors in 2023, marking a significant increase since the end of the pandemic. Most visitors were foreign (75%), contributing to a tourism income of at least B388 billion, Ms Wirintra noted.