Kittipan Ekareesakul’s research while affiliated with Prince of Songkla University and other places

This article aims to investigate the responsibilities and preparedness of local government in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic while analyzing the factors influencing their readiness in the southernmost provinces of Thailand. Employing a mixed-method research approach, data were gathered through a questionnaire completed by 171 representatives and interviews with 13 key informants from local administrative organizations in the multicultural community of southern Thailand. The findings indicate that local governments exhibited high overall performance in managing the COVID-19 pandemic. However, they were less effective in promoting and addressing occupational issues than their efforts in preventing the spread of the virus. The study also revealed that these organizations were well-prepared regarding facilities, coordination, networking, and public communication. Notably, public communication and community participation emerged as key factors significantly impacting their performance in promoting and resolving occupational problems related to the COVID-19 pandemic, across the southernmost provinces.

In contemporary society, the widespread adoption of information and communication technologies has become integral to meeting daily needs. E-Government leverages these technologies to deliver efficient and secure services to citizens, particularly at the local government level. However, existing literature lacks comprehensive exploration into citizen preferences for utilizing e-government services, especially those offered by local governments. Addressing this gap, this study investigates citizen intentions to use e-government, focusing on the application system provided by local governments. Our research framework integrates three established models (UTAUT, TAM, and TPB) and employs empirical validation through a structured questionnaire. Data collection involved 97 respondents from diverse cities/regencies. Rigorous reliability and validity assessments were conducted on the questionnaire, with analysis performed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The findings underscore the significant influence of citizens' attitudes toward e-government, shaped by factors such as effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, and perceived risk. Furthermore, a positive and significant relationship between attitude and Intention to use revealed. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of citizen behavior towards e-government services, offering insights crucial for enhancing service delivery and citizen engagement at the local level.

COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on migrant workers all over the world, including in Malaysia. This study focuses on the undocumented Thai migrant workers in Malaysia. Due to their illegal status, as returnee migrants in Thailand, they could not seek assistance from the government. This study aims to explore the struggle of illegal Thai migrant workers after returning to their country of origin and responses from government and other organizations. The methodology used for this research is a multi-site case study, with the case study sites being southern border provinces: Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, Songkla, and capital city Bangkok. Data were collected through intensive fieldwork and various secondary documents. This study revealed that Thailand has not developed any concrete policy to assist the returnee workers in the pandemic period. There is a lack of coordination among government agencies, and local support including from civil society organizations initiatives has been inadequate.