Model Law for Specific Planning Act for Floating Market Management to Promote Tourism and Community Participation

Abstract

Many problems in the current floating market affect the floating market that used to be abundant but is now filled with many problems such as garbage, and polluted water. The disorder of the waterways for trade or tourism and the encroachment of waterways and the disorderly location of shops have greatly reduced the value of the floating market. If no action is taken to solve the problem, the floating market will eventually become the past that was once prosperous in the present or in the future that is found only in decline. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a law to enforce a specific town plan to manage the floating market to promote sustainable tourism. Thus, this research aims to investigate (1) concepts, principles, and theories related to specific planning acts for floating market management to promote tourism and community participation, (2) study legal measures related to specific planning acts for floating market management to promote tourism and community participation under foreign and Thai laws, (3) analyze problems on specific planning act for floating market management to promote tourism and community participation, and (4) find methods to proceed the model law for specific planning act for floating market management to promote tourism and community participation. This research applied a qualitative research methodology consisting of documentary research, in-depth interview, and focus group discussions. The target group consists of 12 people, selected by purposive sampling, including administrators, officers of city planning, legal authorities and politician, officers of city planning in local organizations, and interested persons in public and private sections. The findings revealed that (1) regarding the usage of concepts, principles, and theories in analyzing the model law for specific planning acts for floating market management to promote tourism should mainly consider community participation’s regulation. (2) The Town and Country Planning Act B.E.2562 has established the criteria for planning town and country; however, it is not suitable to adopt this act to reorganize town and country with floating markets to promote tourism and community participation. (3) Regulations of floating market management to promote tourism and community participation is uncertain and indistinctive, and orderliness and beauty of floating markets to utilize the area’s uniqueness should determine the law of specific city planning. (4) Legislation of the model law should consider community participation to control and support floating market management for tourism promotion.