Opportunities and constraints on foreign relations strategy and the management of local administration: a case study of Bangkok metropolitan administration.
Abstract:
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is a local administration with potential to greatly benefit from globalization and foreign relations strategy. However, the BMA, as an organization, cannot take full benefit due to its lack of clear target in foreign relations strategy implementation. The implementation of the strategy is relied solely on the vision of the BMA's executives, particularly the elected Governor of Bangkok. This means that the target of foreign relations strategy changes when new governor assumes the office which result in the BMA losing an opportunity to take advantage of globalization in order to foster urban development. The BMA has opportunities to pursue foreign relations strategy as Bangkok is a highly globalized city because of its strategic location in the Southeast Asian region, where it is included in the global network in various aspects. Bangkok is a special administrative zone under administration of the BMA whose authority embraces wide range of city management with its huge revenue. Moreover, the law allows BMA, as an administrative body of the special administrative zone, sufficient power to promote development in Bangkok area. As foreign relations strategy has varied on the vision of each Governor of Bangkok, this factor has become an important constraint on the BMA to have a long-term foreign relations strategy. This lack of continuity in policy implementation of the BMA foreign relations strategy has resulted in no concrete plan for its overall urban development.