According to Ministerial Regulation of the Ministry of Interior B.E.2551 (2008) to divide Department of Local Administration (DLA), DLA has duties to promote and support local administrative organizations to create local development plan, human resource management, fiscal policy, and governance that have made and strengthened local administrative organizations’ success and improved capacity of public services.
Nowadays, when Thailand became a one of ASEAN community in 31 December 2015, DLA has plans to prepare knowledge and information for local administrative organization among regional and international challenges, including:
1) DLA guides directions for local administrative organizations to integrate preparation of ASEAN community regarding to different areas and identities. For example, DLA supported improvement of infrastructure to stimulate regional trades and investments.
a. In case of a group of local administrative organizations on the border of Thailand, they should have five directions of development; 1) infrastructure development, 2) people participation for preserving natural and environmental resources, 3) health system, and 4) learning cross-border cultural relations.
b. In case of a group of local administrative organizations needed to establish infrastructure and communication in domestic areas, they should be taken following three issues into account; 1) developing infrastructure and communication related to strategic plan of each province, 2) improving energy capacity and alternative energy management, 3) supporting service sectors.
c. In case of a group of local administrative organizations which should be supported for trades and investments, they have suggestions from DLA in five ways; 1) accessing to capital, 2) human resource development, 3) distributions of goods and information for private sector, 4) strengthening SMEs, and 5) creating systems of local taxation and property lists.
d. In case of a group of local administrative organization in tourist areas, DLA give advices in two directions; 1) developing system of tourism through the Community Based-Tourism (CBT), and 2) to advertise and facilitate knowledge about tourist attractions, law, and map.
e. In case of a group of local administrative organization which has to develop educations, they should focus on three points; 1) language capacities such as English, and neighbor languages, 2) developing communication, and improving modules of education.
f. In case of a group of local administrative organization which needs to support in health system, they should have plans to prepare labour immigration and tourism, including health services, and drug preventions.
g. In case of a group of local administrative organization about environmental issues, they should have attention in waste management, clean water, reducing pollution, and land management.
h. In case of a group of local administrative organization about cultural identities, they can have projects on cultural exchange with neighbor’s cultures. Educational institutions are a key of cultural issues.
2) To improve effectiveness and efficiency of local fiscal administration, DLA has suggestions and fiscal assistances for local administrative organizations and special support for targeted projects for preparation of ASEAN community.
3) Local human resource development should be considered. DLA has supported local administrative organizations to prepare ASEAN communist through knowledge management, workshops, and academic seminars. Moreover, DLA has guided local administrative organizations to exchange knowledge between related organizations which work in ASEAN issues.
4) Educational preparation on ASEAN is also important. DLA supports local administrative organizations to learn ASEAN knowledge for their officers and local schools, following these issues:
a. Supporting and developing “Module of Local Education for Becoming ASEAN Community” in the primary school in local areas.
b. Stimulating “ASEAN Studies Center” for local school to be a center of information in each area.
c. Supporting projects of teacher and officer’s knowledge development for preparing ASEAN community.
d. Supporting cultural exchange to learn about local identities and other cultures in ASEAN member states.
5) DLA has innovated information system for public sectors and local administrative organization to access knowledge about ASEAN. The information system has database that consists of infrastructure and public utilities, social issues, economic knowledge, and linkages of DLA and local administrative organizations which can reflect strength and weakness of each area.