The E-Government Situation In Thai Local Government: Municipalities In Khon Kaen Province

Abstract

This article is based on an investigation of situations related to the utilization of e-government in public administration organizations, especially at the local municipality level in Thailand. The sample population consisted of elected and unelected officers in seven municipalities in Khon Kaen province, Thailand. Random sampling was employed to select the municipalities. The main objective of the study was to explore the current e-government utilization situation in Thai local administration organizations. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data along with unstructured interviews and a website review. The obtained data was analyzed for mean and standard deviation. Content analysis was also used. The results show that while use of e-government at the Thai local level has expanded, the greater usage has not resulted in successful e-government development. In fact, e-government development in Thai municipalities is still at the first stage, emerging presence. The data from open-ended questions also shows that in order to improve the use of e-government at the local level, better management, better technology and policy changes are needed. Moreover, the digital divide between local citizens is still a major stumbling block of Thai local e-government development.