The Foresight of Laem Chabang Municipality and Restructuring Guidelines for Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC)

Abstract

The Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) is the most important megaproject of Thailand in this decade. This project is an expansion of the development of major industries and their relevance which has been known for more than 30 years, also known as the Eastern Seaboard. The EEC focuses on transforming both physical and social development to increase the country's competitiveness. Laem Chabang is one of the key areas of the EEC with the most important deep seaports. Even though the emergence of the EEC will make the local administrative regulations of Laem Chabang Municipality more flexible, with regard to facilitating investment in the promoted industrial sector, Laem Chabang Municipality often faces the other problems that come after these developments, especially the hinterland which is a large scale of the community. This makes the shortage of public service management such as well-being infrastructure, sewage, pollution, non-resident population problems. However, there are still a number of regulations that Laem Chabang can apply in the same way as other municipalities. This article provides guidelines for the management of public services, including policy recommendations to improve the regulations of public administration that cannot meet the needs of people in areas with special economic characteristics. This research used foresight technique to create a scenario of the future of Laem Chabang Municipality based on interview data through a sweeping process and brainstorming from experts and people involved in local administration. Use the visualization techniques to prepare for the management of public affairs and the provision of infrastructure to support the upcoming socio-economic activities. The guidelines for enhancing the administrative capacity of Laem Chabang Municipality to be in line with the EEC development are as follows: 1) Change the administrative structure, powers and duties, and the relationship between government agencies. by using the power of the Eastern Special Development Zone Policy Committee and 2) the addition of new government agencies in the administrative structure. and an increase in investment promotion positions using the current law.