BORDER SECURITY MODEL OF MAE HONG SON PROVINCE, THAILAND AND REPUBLIC OF THE UNION OF MYANMAR

Abstract

        This research aimed to 1) study border level security in Mae Hong province, 2) study factors affecting the border security in Mae Hong Son province, and 3) create the border security model of Mae Hong Son province, Thailand and the Republic of the Union Myanmar. The Quantitative research samples were people living in Mae Hong Son province 399 samples. Instruments used for data collection was a 5-rating scale questionnaire with the reliability value of .96and statistics used for data analysis consisted of frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and multiple linear regression. The qualitative research was conducted by organizing a focus group discussion and in-dept interviewing 32 key informants who were the officials involving with border security affairs and they were selected purposively. The data were analyzed using the content analysis.

        The results found that; 1) the overall level of border security in Mae Hong Son province was in overall at the high level ( = 3.71, S.D. = 0.43). 2) The factors affecting the border security in Mae Hong Son province at the statistical significant level of .05 comprising 7 factors: territorial factor, external factor, security officials factors, state citizenship factor and International legal factor and 3) The information from the group discussion and in-depth interviewing was found that the border security model of Mae Hong Son province of Thailand should be consisted of 13 factors including : the borderline factor, business/merchant factor, international legal factor, sovereignty factors, Thai legal factors, state citizenship factor, external factor, unity and efficiency factor, territorial factor, cooperation and participation of general government officials and factor, security official factor, government security involving organizations.