Peer Group assisting Nareasuan University Ph.D students

Participated by Ph.D. students, Lecturers, and Alumni, the group set up the meeting every month for helping each Ph.D. students to make progress on their dissertation.  Assoc. Prof. Patcharin, Dr.Det Wattanachaiyingchareon, Assoc. Prof. Dr.Thaweesak Nopkaesorn, Assistant Prof. Taweesak Siripornpaiboon took part on the meeting as the commentators for thesis works of the students.

The meeting's atmostphere is friendly, simple, but productive since the academic papers were treated with sincere critics on the hardest part of the papers which the commentators would raise the unclear parts to discuss while guiding the way out of the academic trap.  The outcomes have made pretty much benefits to all participants to move forward to achieve the academic requirements. 

Not only, the monthly meeting but also the relevant and interesting seminar were held on the topic regarding to students' demand which expected to help them get through the qualifation examination in both theoretical part and thesis proposal part.

Recent Meeting held in the "CUPPA"  where is the business center, KM center, and a good coffee place initiated by Dr. Det with the coordinating of Pol Collonell Bandal who is the Ph.D. Candidate in Social Development Department on 15th May 2010. The discussing papers were "Strategic Paradigm of CSR Gold Mining Industry for Achieving Participatory Social Development: Case of Akara Gold Mining)" presentd by Mr. Jirapat Sukhanite, "Human Trafficking Networks in Temperary Asylum: Case of Tha Song Yan Village, Tak", presented by Pol. Lt. Col. Bandan, " Social Factors cause Suicide: Case of Phichit", and " The Internal Anti-corruption Mechanism in Local Government: Case of Tambon Administrative Organisations. 

I must apology to the group if i made mistakes on the titles or names.  By the way, the next meeting may be help at the same place, the CUPPA, on saturday 19 June.  Pls contact the group coordinator, Pol. Lt. Col. Bandan by calling him on the following number 08 1888 0430 

Fire Damaged a House Again In Kamphaengphet

Pictures of the clashing between the red shirt anti-government and military

Stop Discriminated policy and dissolved parliament

Sub-committee for Foreign Affairs of the National Municipal League of Thailand

Mr. Suriya Yeekhun, the chairman of the foreign affairs sub-committee in the  NMT, and Mr. Taweesak, the secreatariat of the NMT held the meeting to call for each member's reports and to wrap up development plan for next year.

The sub-committee concerned about how to increase the explicit activities which benefits to the majority of the League's members.  After a long discussion, the meeting concluded that:
1. The sub-comittee should involved on activities which related to foreign affairs not only in the foreign affairs sub-commitee but also other committees within the NMT.
2. The sub-comittee should improve capacity which can assist other members in the MNT including language translation
3. In order to make important roles on foreign affairs, the sub-committee should offer office space for the International Organisations, such as UCLG, FCM  to establish their branch office at the NMT. This could bring closely relationship amongst our international networks.
3. The annual report should me made.
4. PR is important and it is the reason why the sub-committee are required to establish our own website which must be more open (web 2.0)  in order to create more networking and KM assessment.
5. Using plans as a mean to achieve end

Acting a Chair person of the Five Year Plan Development Committee

Afternoon of 7th March, the City Clerk asked me to act as a Chair Person of the Five Year Plan Development Committee which he used to be.  Due to the municipality has several projects to do this year but it has not yet put into the 5 years plan.  According to the local legislation, any projects which the local governments intended to execute must be approved by the committee of the 5 Year Plan Development. 

Therefore, the KPP municipality called for the meeting of this committee in order to approve 60 projects of 26 million bath from each departments. While I was acting the Chair person, I emphasized to the committee members especially the two committees, who were voted and selected by people in the communities, that all projects was important for on going of local development and it also served the communities' demands directly.  After I aksed the secretary of the committee to demonstrate the neccessity of every projects and allowed each participants to criticize and make comments, I asked them to approved the projects.  The resolution of the committee was absolutely agree on the 60 projects to be approved.  End of my day!  May tomorrow be a long meeting again and again.

City Planning a lesson of decentralisation failure

I was asked by Kamphaengphet City Mayor (Mr. Chaiwat Suphaathaphanich) to present in front of the sub-committee of City Planning which was under the City Planning Department, Interior Ministry on the matter of Kamphaengphet City Planning reusing. The disagreement on land using and the exiting facts in the city. 

According to the law, a city planning making by the Local Government must be approved by sub-committee of the City Planning and pass to the consideration of the City Planning Commintee at the ministerial level. What happening here was preparing and making city planing has transferred to local government's job. The problem was no one know how to make it even though traning courses provided by the City Planning Department.  Some provice, for instance, Kamphaenphet province where the Kamphaengphet Municipaliy was located had not yet completely transfer this job to the municipality.  As a result, the Provincial City Planning Office still made mapping the city planning while the municipality did support the process of public hearing before using the city planning.  This means Local government did not shaded the color on the city map. However, the municipality followed what the Provincial City Planning Office man said.  Once, he shaded the red color(commerical zone) on the previous light green zone (recreation zone)as that area became public market known " Night Bazzar" where most citizens used in the evening for eating out and night shopping.  So, there was a little red dot on over the light green zone.  Regard to this, the sub-committee on city planning which the majority were central government's high ranking officials, didn't like to see.  And they all thrown a heavy attack to the Kamphaengphet City Planning.  They wanted to preserved the green zone as long as it could be (some academic called "sustainability")

What's wrong about the city planning?  Why a market built in green zone?  "This is a big mistake" someone made commended on the draft of city planning.  I have been trying to tell them the truth that a previous city mayor decided to build the market on green zone once when the city planning was invalid several years ago. On the matter of fact, the market has been exiting to serve local people and respond to the expansion of local market and economy regarding to tourism.  I also claimed them back to the past when the Governor retrived a thousand heaps of sand from the river and dumped it back to the river shore to be determined as green zone land. If the local government should be blamed on buiding the market on the green zone, why don't the governor could be blamed on transforming of river to land?  What the Governor done could bring negative impacts to river, fishes, and living things nearby the river which is a bigger impacts to locality than building market where local people used everyday. 

I didn't mean to blame the Governor to do such thing. But why most of governmental officials from central government always blamed others, especially the local government? We did our job. Our jobs are to serve local needs. Why should it be wrong when we serve people demand?  Actually, the law allowed to change color zone if the exiting area has been changed.  In case of Kamphaengphet city, only a small piece of green zone became markets at night and local government considered that this area should change its color to red zone which means "commercial zone" due to physical changing.  What's the matter when local government wanted to change color zone in order to suit with physical changing and to serve people demand? 

Give lecture at Nareasuan University, Thailand

Yesterday, I was invited by Dr. Peeratorn, a lecturer of Political Science Faculty at Nareasuan University which located in Phitsanulok province, to give lecture on "Policy Implementing in Local Governments: the Problematic procedures"

Arriving at the University, two young female students were already waiting for me at the car park near the faculty. We did greeting and introducing to each other. The they guided me to the classroom. We walked a few minutes from the car pool to the lecture building. Some students had seen me in a far distance then they rush into the lecture room.

It reminded me when I was a university student at Srinakharin Wirot University where I had got a B.A. in English and Literature. I felt more than happy to get back to class once again even though I was not a student anymore.

I already knew that this class,which invited quest lecturer from local government organisation, arranged by the students as this task was a part of student's project. I should admired these students who established a project, implemented, managing, and sharing their ability to do their assigned jobs effectively.

A couple student stood in front of the class to read on my education background and work's experiences before I gave lecture. Well done.

It took more than two hours to complete my lecturing. Most of students enjoyed my class, there was no sign of boring on their faces. A lot of questions after class until half past one, the class was over. Students asked me to take photo with them in order to keep as an evidence for project's reporting to the university. Today was a very good day! This writing is to honour all students for their good job.