THE ACHIEVEMENT OF COMMUNTITY DEVELOPMENT POLICY BASED ON THE SUFFICIENCY ECONOMY PHILOSOPHY OF SUB-DISTRICT ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATIONS IN THE AREA OF CENTRAL PROVINCES OF THAILAND

Abstract

The objectives of this research were to 1) study the factors affecting the achievement community development policy based on the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy of Sub-district Administrative Organizations in the area of central provinces of Thailand and 2) propose appropriate guidelines for improving the achievement community development policy. This research was a mixed methods research which combined qualitative and quantitative approaches. The qualitative research was conducted by studying relevant document and theory as well as conducting in-depth interviews with 12 key informants consisted of 3 persons of community development policy formulations, 3 executives of Sub-district Administrative Organizations and community leaders and they were purposively selected. The data were analyzed using content analysis. The quantitative was conducted by studying a sample of 400 people who were project participants living in the area of Prathum Thani, Saraburi and Aungthong provinces, which were in the central provinces of Thailand. They were selected by proportional muti-stage random sampling and simple random sampling. The sample size was obtained by calculations with Taro Yamane’s formula. The research tool for collecting the data was a 5 –level rating scale questionnaire with a reliability of 0.85. The data were analyzed using percentage, mean, standard deviation and stepwise multiple regression analysis.  

            The research results were as follows:

            1) The factors affecting the achievement community development policy based on the sufficiency Economy Philosophy of Sub-district Administrative  Organizations in the area of central provinces of Thailand, derived from qualitative study consisted of 3 factors, (1) policy component, strong sufficiency economy community creation, (2) sufficiency economy component, the creation of knowledge and understand in economic foundation in various dimensions by considering of the immune in global changes and (3) policy implementation component, the community participation on more networks creation for being sufficiency economy. The quantitative research revealed that factors affecting the achievement community development policy, consisted of 4 factors: (1) policy factor (β =0.779) with 1 variable of being able to evaluate, (2) sufficiency economy factor (β=0.879) with 3 variables, reasonable, immunization, knowing and understanding, (3) policy implementation factor (β = 0.841) with 2 variables; appropriate leadership and community participation. These 3 factors explain 80.90 percent of the variance (R²=0.809) of the achievement community development policy based on the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy of Sub-distract Administrative Organizations at the statistical level of significance of 0.05.

            2)  The appropriate guidelines for improving the achievement community development policy based on Sufficiency Economy Philosophy composed of 4 key practices : (1) the government should help support the community with the new products and provide more production housing. These supports could help         the agriculturists to produce the higher quality products as in various developed countries in Asia and other western countries, (2) the family institution should be strengthened to increase the capabilities of the communities by conducting various activities based on the policy of Sufficiency Economy Philosophy to protect and solve the criminal problems, narcotics problems and social violence problems, (3) the government should support up in setting necessary organizations for creating cooperation. There organization should help develop the family institution in all aspects in protecting social violence problems and (4) the governmental sectors should support the agriculturalists in modern product processing to get more value added. Most importantly, the effective marketing supports from the government are most beneficial to the communities.