The implementation of sufficiency economy in local development: A case study of administrative areas of Takuk Nuea Subdistrict Administrative Organization, Vibhavadi District, Surat Thani Province, Thailand

Abstract

This research aims to (1) evaluate the implementation of sufficiency economy philosophy for local development in Tambon Takoek Nuea, Amphoe Wipawadee, Surat Thani province, (2) study the attitudes of the community towards the role of Tambon Takoek Nuea in driving the sufficiency economy philosophy for local development, and (3) examine the relationship between perception factors and participation factors with the attitudes of the community towards the role of Tambon Takoek Nuea in driving the sufficiency economy philosophy for local development. The research utilized a quantitative research method. The researchers used criteria for assessing the understanding, perception, and access to the sufficiency economy philosophy at the local administrative organization level as a framework for evaluation. An online questionnaire was used to collect data to study the community's attitudes in Tambon Takoek Nuea, with a sample size of 400 people. The data were analyzed using the SPSS software to calculate percentages, means, standard deviations, and to compare differences using t-tests and one-way ANOVA tests at a 95% confidence level. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to test the relationships between variables. The study found that (1) Tambon Takoek Nuea had an evaluation result of sufficiency economy understanding at the level of "understanding" (253 points) according to the Happiness Organization framework. (2) The community had attitudes towards the role of Tambon Takoek Nuea in driving the sufficiency economy philosophy for local development at an overall moderate level (mean of 3.22), and factors such as age, education level, and occupation showed significant differences in attitudes at a statistical significance level of 0.05. (3) Perception factors were correlated with the community's attitudes towards the role of Tambon Takoek Nuea in driving the sufficiency economy philosophy for local development in all three aspects, namely management, participatory community development planning, and community resources. This abstract summarizes the objectives, methodology, and key findings of the research, highlighting the importance of driving the sufficiency economy philosophy for local development in the context of Tambon Takoek Nuea's local administrative organization.