PEOPLE’S VIEWS TOWARDS THE TERM OF VILLAGE HEADMAN IN THE CHIANG MAI PROVINCE

Abstract

The objectives of this research articles were 1) to study the people’s views towards the term of office of the village headman in ​​Chiang Mai Province, and 2) to study the problems and suggestions to solve the problems in the term of office of the Subdistrict Headman and the village headman in Chiang Mai province. This research was a gualitative research that the data were collected from 70 members of the samples : 25 people by using the In-depth interview by using purposive selection and 45 people by using the groupwork discussing divided into 3 groups.

The result were as follows :

The term of the village headman in term of 60 years and 10 years was too long that they would had got bored while in the performing their duty. They might do their work without enthusiasm or sluggish. It would become a monopolized function. Moreover, a new plan for developing a village would not exceed or the community would be developed slowly. The power of prestige would be as an influential person. When the term was over, the competitional candidates would had won the election difficult because the former headman had inherited power already. Some of a village headman started working in the age of 30 years before retiring, and still working for another 30 years. It was considered as a very long period of time. In this point, they might have plan to join the government and work as the election campaigner for local government or the national government.

The tenure of the village headman who had 5 years found that term was an appropriate position during the period in village development. The performing duty efficiently can efficient work, be a new idea in order to continually develop of the village, and have an attempt to create the good works to gain credibility from the public. It can be considered as the most suitable time as well. The problem and suggestion will be controlled by the politician easily, a short tenure of office can not reach political stage and a prestige had not rise etc.