Implementing the Concept of Electing the Governor of Chonburi Province into Practical Feasibility

Abstract

This research article consisted of the following objectives: 1) to analyze the factors facilitating the successful implementation of the concept of electing the governor of Chonburi Province; 2) to examine the impacts of implementing the concept of electing the governor of Chonburi province into practical feasibility; and 3) to propose guidelines for implementing the concept of electing the governor of Chonburi province into practical feasibility. The research employed a qualitative approach, with 26 key informants including senior executives, politicians, academics, community leaders, civil society representatives, and members of the general public, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using content analysis.

The findings revealed that: 1) the factors facilitating the success of the governor election concept include budgetary readiness, civil servant attitudes, support from the Ministry of Interior, public knowledge, the role of civil society, legal readiness, and the province’s economic, social, and political context; 2) The impacts of implementation were both positive, such as decentralization, administrative flexibility, improved local knowledge of the governor, and increased public participation, and negative, including risks of political conflict, the need for bureaucratic adaptation, vote-buying issues, and legal constraints; and 3) The guidelines for implementing the election concept emphasize a systematic and integrated approach across five dimensions: legal and power structure reform, raising public understanding and participation, restructuring provincial administration systems, developing leadership capacity, and conducting pilot trials to build readiness and confidence in the governor’s administration.