300^th Meeting – Tuesday, April 8^th 2008

“Making Chiang Mai a Great Place to Live”

A talk by Captain Deuntemduang Na Chiengmai, Ph.D., Mayor of Chiang Mai Municipality

Dr. Deuntemduang received her master and doctoral degree in Economics from the University of California, Irvine, USA. She started her career by having achieved the rank of captain in the Royal Thai Army, taught at Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy, and she has been assistant spokesperson for the Royal Thai Army. She entered politics when she became the deputy spokesperson for the Democrat Party, and sat on a number of working committees for social development. She is now the first lady mayor in the history of Chiang Mai Municipality who is directly elected by those registered residents of Chiang Mai Municipality and has her term for 4 years.

The title for her presentation is ‘Making Chiang Mai A Great Place to Live’, which will include topics concerning the municipality’s policies on environment, its future development plan, and green city.

Outline of talk:

 1.      Chiang Mai Municipality

1.1  Area of responsibility.

1.2  Duties and responsibilities

2.      Priorities

2.1  Cultural conservation and preservation

2.2  City environmental development

2.2.1        Green city

2.2.2        Air quality control and measurement

2.2.3        Solid waste management

2.2.4        Waste water treatment

2.3  Quality of Life

2.3.1        Public Health Services

2.3.2         Education

2.4   Public participatory process

Résume: Dr. Deuntemduang  Na-Chiengmai

Education

2000                  University of California, Irvine (UCI)                                   Irvine, CA

Ph.D. in Economics. Major in International Trade

Thesis: The Impact of Institutions on International Trade and Investment

             1998                 University of California, Irvine (UCI)                                   Irvine, CA

M.A. in Economics. Master research: Government Size

and Economic Growth

     1993                 Chiang Mai University                                                           Chiangmai, Thailand

                             B.A. in Economics

     Work Experience

 2007-present    Chiangmai Municipality                                              Chiangmai, Thailand

                                    Mayor

2005-2007         Democrat Party                                                            Bangkok, Thailand

                                     Deputy Spokesperson

2004-2005         Democrat Party                                                           Chiangmai, Thailand

Candidate in February 2005 Parliamentary election

2001-2007         Army Command and General Staff College               Bangkok, Thailand

                                                    Graduate Study Department

                                                    Instructor and Thesis Advisor

2001-2004         Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy                   Nakornnayok, Thailand

Department of Law and Social Sciences

                                                    Faculty member.  Captain.

 2002-2004        The Royal Thai Army                                                  Bangkok, Thailand

                               Assistant Spokesperson

 2001-2002        Ministry of Defense, Spokesperson Office                 Bangkok, Thailand

Volunteer Experience

2002-2004         Ministry of Public Health: To Be Number One Project        Bangkok, Thailand

o        Helped plan and implement initiatives to prevent and

      alleviate drug problem among Thai youths

2001-2003         The Botanical Garden Organization                                    Bangkok, Thailand

o        Developed 5-year master plan and provided roadmap on how to achieve targets in the master plan of The Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden

o        Cooperated with private organization to carry out the improvement project of Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden

 2006-present     Civil Boy Scout Club under the Royal Patronage      Chiangmai, Thailand

                         of H.M. the King 

The Mayor of Chiang Mai speaks at the Alliance Française

“Everyone, foreign or Thai, is a Chiang Mai citizen”

Chiang Mai Mail

Tess Itura
At last week’s regular monthly lecture meeting of the Informal Northern Thai Group held at the Alliance Francaise, the speaker was Dr Duentemduang na Chiengmai, the city’s mayor. An enthusiastic audience filled the lecture room and were rewarded by hearing details of the Mayor’s project, “Making Chiang Mai a Great Place to Live”. Amongst the topics discussed was, obviously, the city’s environmental development, of essential interest to all who live here. The Mayor made it clear that she is concerned about pollution caused by illegal burning, and that, within the area of the city for which she is responsible, she has introduced measures that have already helped to improve the air quality. As regards waste management, the present landfill site is almost at capacity; the municipality are looking at alternative means of disposal which include recycling projects.

Dr Duentemduang is committed to making Chiang Mai a “Green City”, with all that this implies, including using alternative fuel for city buses, the recycling of leaves and garden waste into fertiliser, controlling burning and vehicle emissions, refurbishing and extending the city’s parks, controlling flooding and improving the areas around the city’s rivers and canals, introducing car-free streets and cycle lanes, and educating both residents and their children who attend the city’s schools in ways to preserve and improve the environment. She is also enthusiastic about preserving Lanna culture and traditions, and has designated several important buildings to be renovated and developed into museums of the city and its residents’ history. She was at pains to point out that she is relatively new in her job, and that she can only work within the boundaries of her area of the city, but that she is concentrating on constructive dialogues with authorities in the outlying areas. In conclusion, she reiterated that everyone who lives in Chiang Mai, whether foreign or Thai, is a citizen of the city, and that all should work together to make their city a “Great Place to Live”. In a much appreciated and honestly spoken statement, she said, “Yes, politics in Thailand is for men, and it is difficult to be a female Mayor in a traditionally male-dominated society!” Everyone present clearly wished her all success with that task!