One step closer to reality for Nakhon Pattani?

With very little publicity, the opposition Puea Thai party’s legal team has completed the draft of a bill seeks to establish a special semi-autonomous administrative body for three southernmost provinces to be officially named Nakhon Pattani.

The followings are the highlights of the Nakhon Pattani administration bill:

•    the Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre and the Southern Border Provinces Administration Act B.E. 2553 which came into force late last year will be revoked.  The SBPAC will be replaced by Nakhon Pattani whose jurisdiction cover Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat provinces.

•    the Nakhon Pattani administration comprises an elected governor and an elected council.  The council of Nakhon Pattani is made up of representatives to be elected by the people with one member representing each district in the three southernmost provinces.  The governor will be assisted by two deputies, also to be elected.  The term of the elected governor, deputies and council members is four years.

•    The Nakhon Pattani administration is authorized to perform the following tasks:  draw up development plans for the three southernmost provinces; maintaining peace and order; promote, support and facilitate Haj pilgrimage for Thai Muslims; manage education and health care services.

Any ministries or departments wish to send their officials to work in the deep South can do so with prior consultation with Nakhon Pattani administration.  However, the interior minister is empowered to oversee the performance and administration of Nakhon Pattani.

All provincial administrative organizations (PAO), tambon administrative organizations and municipalities will come under Nakhon Pattani administration and all kamnan, village heads and mayors will continue to function.

It should be noted that the concept of a special semi-autonomous administration for the deep South has been floated for a couple of years and widely discussed among academics.  And one of the key advocates for this concept is General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, chief advisor of Puea Thai party.

A public forum on Nakhon Pattani administration was held last December at the Pattani campus of Prince of Songkhla University by a network of 23 civic groups in the region.  It was an extension of the forum, titled Nakhon Pattani under the Thai Constitution : Is it real or just a dream? Which was held a year ago at the same venue.

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Captions : Puea Thai party's poster and billboard for support Nakhon Pattani