A Study of Multidimensional Poverty Management in Thailand according to the Thai People Map and Analytics Platform (TPMAP) on Access to Government Services through Provincial Budget Allocation, Annual Budget 2017-2019

Abstract

The purposes of this research are as follows: 1) to study the status of multidimensional poverty in Thailand in terms of accessing to government services based on the Thai People Map and Analytics Platform; 2) to study the government policy via the budget allocated to provinces for multidimensional poverty management regarding the access to the government services based on the Thai People Map and Analytics Platform; and 3) to study the relationship between the status of multidimensional poverty and the government policy on the circumstance mentioned. This study employed the qualitative research methodology with a focus on documentary research. The results revealed that, from the multidimensional status of the poverty in Thailand according to the TPMAP system of 2017 – 2019, there are three provinces (i.e. Samut Sakorn, Phang Nga and Prachinburi) with no poor population proportion. On the contrary, the poor population proportion of Trang province tended to decrease while the poor population proportion of Maha Sarakham province tended to increase. Regarding to the budget allocation, Songkhla province was received the highest additional amount of budget, while Yala province was received the lowest one. The provincial budget was not well allocated to the poverty condition, meaning that the provinces with low poor population proportion received less allocation than the provinces having high poor population proportion. The results suggest that the multidimensional poverty index should be publicized in larger area. Also, the results not only indicate that the budget allocation criteria need to be adjusted by marking up the weights, adding the project evaluation, and expanding allocation schemes, but also suggest the establishment of a board of committee who are representatives from the people sector to collaboratively scrutiny of budget allocation process at the provincial level.