Decentralization Process in 1990-2010 In Case of Thailand

Introduction

Thailand has a system of local government more than a hundred year. But only the last two decades that decentralization and local government has been an active issue. The democratic movement after the political crisis of the 1992 Black May had pushed decentralization to be theintegral part of the political reform toward a more democratic regime. The new decentralization era in Thailand, however, did not start, however, until the 1997 Constitution was promulgated. It mandated the state to “decentralize powers to localities for the purpose of independence and self – determination of local affairs.” It had brought about a local government reform that was so extensive and comprehensive. Even though the 1997 constitution is revoked due to the 2006 military coup, the 2007 constitution has still sustained the decentralization process.

Under the context of the centralized nature of Thai administration and a long and slow development of local government, it is interesting to see how this new era of decentralization has been taken place and what the approach and process of decentralization are. This paper focuses on the detail of decentralization process and changes in the last two decade during 1990-2010.

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