People’s Participation in Local Development of Khlong Sam Subdistrict Administrative Organization, Khlong Luang District, Pathum Thani

Abstract

This research article aims to (1) study the level of public participation in the local development of Khlong Sam Subdistrict Administrative Organization, (2) compare public participation in local development of Khlong Sam Subdistrict Administrative Organization based on personal factors, (3) examine the relationship between knowledge about local development and public participation in local development of Khlong Sam Subdistrict Administrative Organization, and (4) investigate the relationship between channels of awareness and public participation in local development of Khlong Sam Subdistrict Administrative Organization. The sample was 398 people. Data were collected by questionnaire. The statistics used for data analysis were frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation Chi-square, Cramer’s V, t-test, One-Way ANOVA and Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient with statistical significance at .05 level. The results of the study found that the level of public participation was at a moderate level. People tended to participate in social activities such as traditional festivals more than participating in local resource management. Personal factors, including age, occupation, and income, had a statistically significant relationship with the level of public participation. Knowledge about local development had a moderate relationship with public participation, while channels of knowledge, such as receiving information from social media, had a high relationship with participation. The results of this study suggest that increasing communication channels and educating people about their roles in local development processes may be an important approach to promoting public participation.