ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with an overview of the decentralization concept followed by a discussion of the history and state of such reforms in Thailand. It addresses the question of what actually happens in the field after local governments are assigned particular tasks through a program of decentralization. As different types of decentralization are considered under the umbrella of reform, it should be noted that this chapter focuses on the type described as devolution. The chapter attempts to fill the gap between the local governments and the decentralization task by examining what actually happened at the local level by using municipalities in the northern region of Thailand as case studies. The empirical evidence of decentralizing the task of controlling illegal drugs in Thailand illustrated top-down decentralization from central to local governments, which created management deficits and did not enhance the capability of local governments to manage local affairs.
