Abstract:
The study aims to find out (1) how Sap-Anan Tambon Administrative Organization (TAO) processes of budgeting ; (2) which policy actors are mainly involved in the policy decision-making process in budgeting ; and (3) how do national and local politicians share their interests. This qualitative research was conducted by means of in-depth interviews. The purposive sampling was used to select the key informants from the three target groups of population getting involved in the policy decision-making process in budgeting. They are (1) 4 members of the Political Official Administrative Team and 15 Government Officials, (2) 14 members of TAO Council, and (3) 16 Representatives of The People. The results showed that (1) the budgeting process of Sap-Anan TAO began with a public hearing within the village, and then with a public hearing within the Tambon. Finally, it was taken into the decision-making process. The budget allocation depends on the administrative team’s decision ; (2) members of the TAO council played little role in making a policy on budget expenditure. They sometimes had an emergency meeting to discuss budget expenditure negotiation ; (3) the key policy actor in the budget expenditure process of the TAO was The Chief Executive of The TAO ; and (4) Both national and local politicians at the provincial level have stepped into deciding on policy and played their roles in TAO due to their vote of confidence in the local areas and their interests in the organization.