Abstract
In Thailand, legislation which concerns health promotion ranges from the National Health Act
(B.E.2550), and the Supporting Fund for Health Promotion Act (B.E.2544) to the most important of all, the
Thai Constitution, B.E. 2550. The constitution guarantees the rights of individuals on this issue as follows:
(a) the right to public health and welfare services; (b) the right to access information on certain activities
and/or programs which may affect their environment, health and quality of life; and (c) the right to be
protected from environmental health hazards. Furthermore, the Constitution also states that health policies
must emphasize health promotion, which would lead to sustainable health of the population, and
that local government should be given the responsibility and authority in the management and provision
of public services for the local people. Even though other related laws which concern the roles of local
government in public health service provision may not have included health promotion as one of the
responsibilities of local government, the responsibilities of local governments could be extended. Legislation
such as the Public Health Act (B.E.2535) and the Tambon Council and Tambon Administrative Organization
Act (B.E.2537) has given power to the ministers in charge to allocate extra responsibility to local
government as allowed by those laws. The latter especially has given the tambon administrative organization
the role of managing basic environmental control services. This is relevant to the function of health
promotion. The Second Action Plan and Protocol for Decentralization to Local Government clearly states
that health promotion responsibility, along with basic health services and disease control, are to be the
responsibilities of the local government, with a certain level of “readiness.” These will be transferred
together with funding, the existing staff and infrastructure (health centers). However, as local government
needs to undergo assessment and other processes in the devolution of health centers, there is a need
for specifying the roles of local government in health promotion in order to clarify the issue and to make
the roles conform to Thailand’s health promotion strategy.
