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.

Picture of crashing on street in Kamphaengphet Town

I was shocking when I was watching the vedio clip provided by KPP Local Administrative Organisation to the Traffic Control and Accidental Protect Committe this morning meeting at the KPP Provincial Hall. At about after mid-night, a motorist drove his bike clashed with another bike which was at the opposite side of the street and deaded.

This event brough to a call on meeting next morning about the case in order to find out how to decrease a number of accidents on street in the city by the Governor and involve government agency; for instance, transportation department, civil rescue office, public health office, and local governments. The meeting discussed on several causes of the road killing and purposed the alternative solutions including government's machanism to stop accidents to death.

The solutions initially advised by the ad hoc committee were:

1. The municipalities should determine the city limit about 40 kms/hr

2. The municipality may close the Rim Ping road after 8:00p.m.

3. The police should stop those drunk persons from driving if meet.

4. Law enforcement should be executed by government officers effectively.

5. Every streets in the city should install wrinkle and sparkling bands on side and middle of the streets.

Blood Donation

On 16th February 2010, The Provincial Red Cross group provided services at the Kamphaengphet Municipality. The municipality encouraged officials and workers to donate their blood for the Red Cross Foundation.

I was walking into the main hall and bang with a Red Cross nurse by chance, when eye attaching her eyes, without a word I followed her step into the service room where people donated their blood. I was thinking to myself, "She must use black magic", to make me absent mind.

After taking little time to write up the documents, I was on bed and ready to be sucking. While I was donating my blood, I was dreaming of the Legend of Dracula with afraid of being a Dracula's follower who hunt for human blood. Suddenly someone woke me up, I just realised that it's only dream.

Actually, giving blood to Red Cross Foundation is a good thing for a good heart one who allocates his blood for those who need. I should feel like happy if only know that my blood could help humans' life. This contribution is very little in term of money but it's the greatest in term of saving life. And I strongly encourage you to do the same.












Note: A courtersy picture link thttp://www.horrorsquad.com/categ.../page/2/

Visit the Municipal Vocational School

This year the Kamphaengphet Municipality announces education policy to establish new vocational school for local students to learn somethings which are more than academic subjects.

It's the fact that, less students attend vocational school eventhough the government policy encourage the Thai students to go to vocational schools rather than high schools. Also, there are only one vocational school in the city which there normally few seats for students who want to learn a kind of professional subjects such as engine, electricity, computer etc. Regard to this, the KPP municipality aims to provide the alternative choice for those who has no seat in school. On top of this the City Mayor want to increase number of workforce who graduated in professional fields which can help the growing of local labour market. " We should have more students who have professional knowledge from our vocational school, so they can bring their professional knowledge to start up their business which will increase local economic growth. Of course, It's can help students to get job and be employed.", Mayor Chaiwat said.

To achive this goal, I follow up the policy by transfering that policy to all involved persons, such as, school directors, teachers, local leaders, executive officials, and people with bureaucratic mechanism. Also, the necessary budget invested on infrastructure and managerial materials. This afternoon, I took a visit to the vocational school to give some advices and to sheer up every teachers who must work hard before the incoming semester.

Fire set frame on house in the municipality

About mid-night, phone rang on several times enough to wake me up to get that calling. "This's calling from Police station, there is firing on Wangkan Road, soi 2, your fire trucks has already on duty". Sleepy answering to him, "Thank for calling me, I'll be there soon." I rided on my car while called to my fire unit to get the short cut to the fire. After turing on the wrong directions, finally I reached to the location where my staffs were trying to stop the fire to save that house and nearby area. Unfortunately we could not save that wooden house, though could save nearby area.

The house would not completely destroyed if the house's owner called to the fire unit by free call number 911, but he kept trying several times to call 191 (police station) but no answer. So his neighbour volunteer to go to the fire station and guide the truck to stop fire.

On the matter of fact, the fire trucks could reach that house immediately and be able to stop fire if they call us 911 instead of 191. I am not blame anyone for this case. However, lessons that we can learn from the case is:
1. Time and fire wait for no one
2. Fire call 911 not 191
3. Fire distinguish must be installed in every house.

Finally, don't make a depth sleep otherwise you will lose your way and go to wrong direction.

Visiting Tokyo with NMT

I was selected with many recommendations from my colleage to visit Japan with a group of sub-committee on Human Resource Development of the National Municipal League of Thailand.

The aims of this group was quite high. The objectives were to look at how Japanese local government manage cooperation amongst local governments and how local personnel would be developed and encouraged to work effectively. How Japan successed on reducing numbers of local government. The group tends to closely look at what are under the interface of exiting Japanese style of bureaucratic system.

Well, I don't think that the seven days of visiting could bring such a good result to meet through the objectives. However, positively, the visiting could make some of us to comparatively explore something behind the Japanese local governments and their organisation culture.

The trip could be bored for someone who used to go to japan several times as me,but it was not close to that boring as Dr. Pijitra, Dr.Namwan from Thammasat University joined with the group. I was impressed by their frankness and sincerity. Both were good to talk to.

The Mount Fuji was bright and clear from our accommodation which located at the far foot of the mountain. Since I had been in Japan, this time was the first time that I could see the top of the Fujiyama so clear. While other parts of the world for instance, China and Europe,were under the heavy snow fall, but here is fine.