Community Participation in Administration of Pathum Thani Municipality, Pathum Thani Province

Abstract

The people’s participation process is a participative political culture witch is considered as the most up-to-date political culture at the present world. The research on “Community Participation in Administration of Pathum Thani Municipality, Pathum Thani Province” has the objective to: 1) study roles, characteristics, and components of Pathum Thani Municipality, Pathum Thani Province, 2) study levels of community participation in administration of Pathum Thani Municipality, Pathum Thani Province, 3) compare the levels of community participation in administration of Pathum Thani Municipality, Pathum Thani Province, and to suggest guidelines for promoting the community participation in administration of Pathum Thani Municipality, Pathum Thani province. the quantitative method, 394 Pathum Thani Province residents were sampled with stratified random selection. Questionnaires were distributed to collet the date The statistics used include frequency, percentage, means and standard deviation, and the data were analysis by using t-test and F-test values. Least-Significant Difference (LSD) tests were also conducted. As for qualitative method, 17 administration personnel members in Pathum Thani Municipality, and the community committee were interviewed with semi- structured interview forms where content analysis was performed. The results of the research revealed that 1) the roles and responsibilities of the Pathum Thani Municipality, Pathum Thani province community included : (1) to promote awareness of unity, (2) to perform as a leader organization in carrying out various activities in the community (3) to serve as a mediator in listening as well as collecting opinions and problems of the community and  (4) to act as a project coordinator among groups in the community. The components of the community consist of one community chairman and eight or lesson community committee members. The opinion towards the community participation indicated a high level ( = 4.11, S.D. = .45). The research suggests that Pathum Thani Municipality, Pathum Thani Provinceresidents with different age, education level, and marital status does not show a significant difference in opinions towards the community participation. Pathum Thani province residents with different sexes and incomes point out a difference in opinions towards the community participation, (p = 0.05). Finally,  the guidelines for the community, included: (1) Creating love, sense of unity, and support among the residents, (2) Promoting clear and distinct administration and community participation, (3) Ensuring life and properties security in the community, (4) Promoting household’ s income and career stability, (5) Encouraging continuing group activities in the community, 6) Building external relationship with other agencies, and  (7) Developing all-encompassing community infrastructure and public assistance