Resolution Guidelines for Listening to Public Opinions through Public Hearings on The Regulation of Prime Minister’s Office With The Idea Of Public Hearings B.E 2548

บทคัดย่อ

This research aims to study the background, concepts, theories, process of listening to public opinions through public hearings on environmental quality, natural resources, and health according to rights and freedom certified by Constitution and related research as well as to study on facts and problems on laws hindering process of listening to public opinions through public hearings and to analyze and compare legal measures regarding process of listening to public opinions through public hearings of Thailand and other countries.  

            The results showed that, from problems related to listening to public opinions through public hearings, the resolution was recommended by specifically legislating public hearing law in the form of “Public Hearings Act B.E. ....” In addition, there should be establishment of Public Hearing Committee selected from people who were neutral and accepted by general people. The number of such committee shall be depended on characteristics or types of subjects on hearing with related ministers as the appointer. There should be amendment and addition of section 4 of Regulations of Office of the Prime Minister on Public Hearings B. E. 2548 by adding the definition stated that“government’s projects with severe effects on collective people” and government should provide correct and accurate news and information to people in order to enable them to perceive and realize problems mutually as well as participate in decision making. To reveal such information, government shall provide extensive public relation on public hearings to people via media with large amount of viewers. Such public relation shall be published for moderate period. In the event that government agencies violate, ignore or intend not to establish any public hearings as defined in Regulations of Office of the Prime Minister on Public Hearings, These should be establishment of both civil and criminal punishment against authorized persons of those organizations and even those organizations in order to make government organizations realize on importance of public hearings. In addition, criminal punishment should be utilized in order to prevent government organizations from avoiding public hearings. Moreover, there should be an the independent organization as defined by constitution as the media to connect understanding and relationship between public and government sectors. Such organization shall control establishment of public hearings and cooperate with government agencies to plan remedy of possible damage in the event that government agencies are necessary to operate any project under objection of public sector. Since this independent organization operates its duties without any intervention or control of any politician or government, such organization is neutral and able to advance Thailand’s public hearings to be more successful for every related party in the future.