(Translated by https://www.hiragana.jp/)
CHAPTER 2 - ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
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ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE  


According to the Royal Decree of 1993, the Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA) comprises two direct-controled components: one in the central administration and the other in the provincial administration as shown in Figure 1.

A. DOPA in Central Administration
DOPA in Central Administration is made up of 1 institute, 6 bureaus, 8 divisions, and 3 agencies under the directing by a director - general and 4 deputy directors - general as illustrated in Figure 2 and 3:

Institute
1. Institute of Administration Development
(IAD) is in charge of human
resources development academically, practically and along with ethics and merits of governing officers including local government officials; both elected and non-elected officials by focusing on
(1) Responsibility in development of DOPA's personnel
(2) Responsibility in development of local government officials e.g. mayors, deputy
mayor, municipal clerks, chairman of the provincial assembly and chairman of
Subdistrict Administration Organization etc.
(3) Research conduct and development of both academic knowledge and performance
system in order to make improvement and attain highest quality of services for people

Under its authority, there are School for Senior Executive Officers, School for District Chief Officers, School for Assistant District Chief Officers, School for Local Government Officials, School for Subdistrict and Village Headmen, Civil Defense School and Northern Training Center of IAD at Ban-Hong in Lamphun.


Bureaus
1. Bureau of Provincial Affairs is responsible for establishment and abolishment of province, district, minor district, subdistrict and village, including boundary changes. It also provides policy to develop working skills of subdistrict and village chiefs as well as their assistants. In addition, the bureau promotes rural development excluding rural industry and occupation smallscale water resources, highland and lowland community development. The Bureau provides laws and regulations on the elections and appointments of subdistrict and village headman, subdistrict and village committees including codes of conduct.
2. Bureau of Registration Administration is in charge of administering civil registration affairs, identification card issuing activities, minority group registration, and general registration which are Will Registration, Personnel Name Registration, Firearm Registration, Beast of Burden Registration, Legal Act Registration, Foundation Registration, Joss House Registration, Island Registration, Association Registration, Cemetery and Crematory Registration, and Auction and Used Goods Trading Registration and Family Registration. It also serves for election support and serves as the National Population Database Center with a significant computerized system and Internet
3. Bureau of Local Education Administration is responsible for managing primary education within local government schools, as provided by the Primary Education Act. The Bureau also takes care of budgetary allocation, local budgeting inspection and analysis as well as personnel administration of local education's employees and teachers. There are 497 municipal schools under the supervision of this bureau.
4. Bureau of Local Government Affairs is responsible for the establishment and abolishment of local government units, and boundary changes. It also works as a secretariate for the central local personnel committee of local government units as well as the form, structure and functions development, financial administration, grants in aid, and promotion of local development planning and special projects. It regularly co-ordinates with Provincial Administration Organization, municipalities and the City of Pattaya in those matters.
5. Bureau of Mass Relations Coordination is responsible for territorial activities and administration of villages under Voluntary Development and Self Defense Project. It also takes care all hilltribes, minorities and National Defense Volunteers, including the operation of intelligence activities and coordination of all mass volunteers except Civil Defense Volunteer.
6. Bureau of Territorial Defense Volunteers Administration is in charge of personnel and logistical administration for Territorial Defense Volunteers, including their welfare and capability development.


Divisions
1. Office of the Secretary of DOPA is responsible for general services, public relations of DOPA and secretarial work for the director general.
2. Finance Division is responsible for finance, accounting, supply, pensions, fiscal regulations and other welfare of DOPA's personnel.
3. Technical Services and Planing Division is responsible for providing technical assistances to DOPA units in central and provincial administration, including local government, coordinating in administrative system, and supporting the planning process and budget planing of the department. It also helps them in long and short term policy formulation and acts as an information center for DOPA. It is in charge of the foreign relations and international co-operation for DOPA and the Municipal League of Thailand as well.
4. Personnel Division is in charge of carrying out personnel administration of DOPA both at the central and provincial levels. The functions include manpower planning, job analysis, position classification, personnel recruitment and selection, disciplinary promotion development of working capability as well as personnel advisory services to officials and employees of DOPA.
5. Election Division is working closely with National Election Commission and be responsible for coordinating and supporting a general election of representatives and senators, an election of members of local government councils, election analysis, reporting, and enhancement of a democratic form of government.
6. Investigation and Legal Affairs Division takes responsibilities for legal work and criminal cases under DOPA's authority, coordination crime suppression and managing investigation of district chief officer and also preventing against the destruction of natural resources and environment.
7. Civil Defense Division is responsible for disaster relief and civil defense affairs provided by laws including an administration and preparedness in a state of emergency or war. It also serves as the Secretariat office for National Commission on Civil Defense.
8. Communication Division is responsible for the administration of DOPA's nationwide telecommunication networks such as walkie-talkie and trunked radio, and the maintenance of all communication equipments.

Agencies with Division Status
1. Office of the General Inspectors' main functions include inspecting and advising DOPA officials and employees at provincial and local level on legal, welfare, discipline and policy matters. Furthermore, it facilitates the general inspectors of DOPA on analysis, coordination and evaluation of inspection.
2. Internal Audit Division's main functions are composed of accounting audit and legal advice.
3. Subdistrict Administration Division is responsible for the establishment and abolishment of Subdistrict Administration organization (SAO) and Subdistrict Council, and boundary change. In addition, its functions cover system development, personnel administration, financial administration and budgeting, and legal advice for SAO and Subdistrict Council.

B.DOPA in Provincial Administration
DOPA in Provincial Administration has its own structure as follows:
1. DOPA Provincial Administration Office
It falls under the responsibility of Deputy Governor ( PaladChangwat ). Its main functions include performing DOPA duties within the provincial jurisdiction, directing, controling, supporting plan and policy implementation of district and minor district, coordinating and overseeing local government units within the provincial jurisdiction.
Under Provincial Administration, DOPA Provincial Administration Office is a division of Provincial Office headed by a governor; it has the same status as other divisions of various ministries. However, until now most of governors used to be staffs of DOPA. This structure is appeared in Figure 4.
DOPA Provincial Administration Office consists of 4 branches as follows.
1.1 Administration Branch
- Direct and control the administration of the district ad ministration office
- Carry out personnel administration of DOPA officials, including Subdistrict and
Village Headman
- Supervise civil and general registration as well as identification card issuing
- Supervise local election and coordinate with provincial election committee for
national election
1.2 Local Government Branch
Its main functions include supporting the policy implementation of the local government unit, overseeing local personnel administration, coordinating in local development plan, and local regulation advice.
1.3 Finance and Accounting Branch
It is responsible for financial and accounting affairs including budgeting and supplying of Provincial Administration Office, overseeing the budgeting of District/ Minor District Administration Office, auditing both district/minor district's accounting, and auditing the local government's accounting within a province as well as special financial and accounting matters.
1.4 Security Affairs Branch
It is maintaining peace and order, administration of territorial defense volunteer unit, civil defense and intelligence activities. In addition, it considers and inspects the petition of people concerning with local affairs. Figure 5 illustrates the structure of DOPA Provincial Administration Office.






2. District Office
District Office ( Amphoe ) is a main government office at district level under Provincial Administration. It is headed by a District Chief Officers ( Nai Amphoe ) to supervise or oversee various divisions under DOPA , Ministry of Interior and other Departments and Ministries such as agriculture division (Ministry of Agriculture) , public welfare division (Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare) and education division (Ministry of Education) etc., beyond supervising DOPA District Administration Office as shown in Figure 6. The divisions under DOPA include 2 offices which are DOPA District Administration Office ( Titumkan-pokkrong-amphoe ) and General Administration Office ( Sumnuk-ngan-amphoe ). This structure is illustrated in Figure 7.
2.1 DOPA District Administration Office
Its main functions comprise district administration, local development, civil registration and identification card service, mobile district service, disaster relief, and civil defense volunteers, etc. District Chief Officer is the highest executive of this office working together with Assistant District Chief Officers ( Palad Amphoe ) who take care each branches and sections, except Finance and Accounting section headed by a finance and accounting officer of DOPA (samiantra ).
District Administration Office is divided into 3 branches as follows;
    2.1.1 Administration and Development Branch
        2.1.1.1 Administration Section
Its mains functions include handling personnel administration of DOPA officials,
Subdistrict and Village Headmen, enforcing the Local Administration 1914 (B.E. 2457),
and coordinating and supporting election both at local and national levels, etc.
        2.1.1.2 Rural Development Section
Its main functions include coordinating in various district development projects, etc.
        2.1.1.3 Finance and Accounting Section
Its main function cover all financial management and accounting of a district, and
auditing the SAO and subdistrict council's accounting.
        2.1.1.4 Local Government Affairs Section
Its main functions include supervising and monitoring the policy implementation of
a district, inspecting SAO administration and advising on local matters.
    2.1.2 Registration and Identification Card Branch
        2.1.2.1 General Registration Section
Its main functions include administering the 12 general registrations which are under
DOPA's authority such as Will Registration, Personnel Name Registration, Firearm
Registration, Beast of Burden Registration, Legal Act Registration, Foundation
Registration, Joss House Registration, Island Registration, Association Registration,
Cemetery and Crematory Registration, Auction and Used Goods Trading Registration,
and Family Registration, etc.
        2.1.2.2 Civil Registration Section
Its main functions include enforcing Civil Registration Acts such as household registration
and the registration of birth, death, marriage, and divorce etc.
        2.1.2.3 Identification Card Section
Its main functions include issuing and regulation of Identification Card.
    2.1.3 Security Affairs Section
        2.1.3.1 Security Affairs Section
Its main functions include district volunteer defense affairs, civil defense, coordination
with security forces and the masses to maintain peace and order, etc.
2.2 General Administration Office
The office is headed by a district chief officer and is responsible for district policy making and planning as well as the district secretary works, etc.





3. Minor District Office (King Amphoe) is a government office at district level under Provincial Administration headed by a minor district chief officer (Huana King Amphoe). There are 81 minor districts in Thailand at present The objectives to establish minor district office is to render services thoroughly to the people in remote areas which is not ready to establish as district office. It is headed by a minor district chief officer. Its main functions are almost the same as those of the District Administration Office except registration and firearm works.

4. Subdistrict (Tambon) is a local administration unit under the supervision of a district or minor district office. The elected head of a subdistrict is called Subdistrict Headman or Kamnan. As provided by the Local Administrative Act 1914 (B.E. 2457), a subdistrict consists of a cluster of more than 8 villages. It is overseen by a subdistrict headman, together with "subdistrict medical practitioner", and "assistant subdistrict headman".

5. Village (Muban) is the smallest local administrative unit within a subdistrict. The elected head of each village is called Village Headman or Pu Yai Ban. According to the Local Administrative Act 1914 (B.E. 2457), a village is overseen by a village headman with two assistants, as an Assistant Village Headmen for Government Affairs and an Assistant Village Headmen for Security Affairs in some villages. A village may be have a Village Committee as an advisory body of a village. The Committee is composed of elected members from all walks of life within the village.
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