On February 29, 2020, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Area Development Fund Management Unit and the Mae Hia Municipality as part of the research study "The Area Development Fund Management Unit Project of Mae Hia Municipality." The objective is to advance academic knowledge towards a sustainable Smart City.

Regarding the background of this collaboration, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pun Thiengbooranat, Deputy Director of Strategic Planning and Budget Framework at the National Science, Research and Innovation Policy Office (NSTDA), stated that the memorandum of understanding (MOU) aims to create a network of academic cooperation with Mae Hia Municipality, represented by Mayor Thanawat Yodjai during the signing.



The collaboration aims to develop concrete spatial data that can be utilized for urban development, facilitating data exchange to enhance urban development efforts. This will promote the efficient development of a Smart City, increasing the city's competitiveness, improving urban quality of life, and presenting policies at a higher level. A Model City Lab will be established in Mae Hia to create a development plan that serves as a prototype for a Smart City.

This collaboration defines NSTDA's role in supporting data management systems, exchanging knowledge from research and data management expertise, and promoting the efficient development of Smart City public services for the citizens.

Additionally, after the signing, the Mayor of Mae Hia presented the operations of "Mae Hia Smart City," aiming to drive Mae Hia towards becoming a Smart City in public services.

Mayor Thanawat Yodjai discussed the approach to "developing Mae Hia Smart City," emphasizing that public service is crucial for Mae Hia Municipality. As the rural society transitions to urbanization, appropriate technology must be integrated into daily life, aligning with the government's policy to enter the 4.0 era. Therefore, various steps are being taken, such as expediting permit requests through a specially developed application that effectively meets community needs.

This success has led Mae Hia Municipality to receive outstanding awards from the King Prajadhipok's Institute for seven consecutive terms. Currently, Mae Hia Municipality is the first in Thailand to use a scanned signature for signing documents, enabling faster public service delivery. If issues like leaking pipes, power outages, or improper waste disposal arise, citizens can promptly report them to responsible parties for quick resolution.

Currently, Mae Hia Municipality attracts over 300 organizations annually interested in studying its operations. The focus on local processes aims to address community needs, allowing localities to grow without excessive central expansion, thereby meeting the development demands of citizens who seek close government support and sustainable development.

Mae Hia Municipality currently has a population of 19,000, with an additional 7,000 transient residents, totaling over 20,000 people who require comprehensive public services. With more than 100 municipal staff, it is challenging to provide thorough coverage, prompting the creation of a technology platform known as an app to maximize benefits.

The municipality has engaged residents in discussions about further improvements and what additional services they desire. Overall, there is a keen interest in incorporating technology into operations, leading to the development of a "One-Stop Service Center" program that allows Mae Hia Municipality to provide accessible and rapid services, reducing bureaucratic complexities.

The "One-Stop Service Center" features various functions that significantly reduce the time required for citizens to interact with government services. Complaints and grievances can be addressed quickly without needing to visit the municipality, as information can be submitted via mobile devices through the application provided by Mae Hia Municipality.

This intelligent system also allows tracking the progress of problem resolutions at various operational levels, enabling citizens to monitor and provide suggestions. Additionally, it can extend its functionality to address other obstacles, such as construction permit requests, which previously took a long time but can now be approved online. Importantly, the system is being adjusted to allow citizens to submit documents online through the Mae Hia Municipality application.

NSTDA has been providing additional technology and platform recommendations to enhance capabilities, particularly regarding the knowledge of municipal personnel. The Mae Hia Municipality application was developed by its staff to address local issues, focusing on public services so that citizens do not need to visit the municipality in person. This initiative has been ongoing for three years, yielding numerous benefits, such as reducing the time required for house construction permits from at least 20 days to just 2 hours if documents are complete. Other public services can also be accessed through the application, with future plans to develop urban planning capabilities in a 3D system.

This initiative represents another project for developing a Smart City, supported and promoted by the government and relevant sectors, particularly NSTDA, to expedite tangible results and serve as a model for expansion to other provinces.