Factors Determining Thai Local Government Autonomy
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Abstract
This paper examines factors determining local government autonomy in Thailand by adopting Multiple Regression Analysis (MRA). This research is somewhat limited from Thai local governments’ experience. Mixed methodologies are applied in developing analytical frameworks based on qualitative techniques and statistically analyzed by quantitative approaches. Data is derived from 602 sampled local governments. Findings show that Thai local autonomy is at a moderate level. Besides, management factors; for example, working experiences, proactive attitudes, and local government networks, are key determinants of local autonomy. By contrast, institutional and contextual factors do not have statistical relationships with local autonomy. For this reason, local autonomy can be promoted through the enhancement of management capabilities and local networking. This research can be employed as a basis for the monitoring of Thai local autonomy in the long run.
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