Digital governance and public acceptance: Lessons from the Thai government's digital service use
คำสำคัญ:
citizen participation, digital divide, digital governance, public trust, usability, public acceptanceบทคัดย่อ
This paper called “Digital Governance and Public Acceptance: Lessons from the Thai Government's Digital Service Use” studies Thai nationals' perceptions about digital government services in focus group discussions among urban youth, working adults, rural, and elderly (n = 34). The thematic analysis revealed five overarching themes: 1. convenience, 2. trust and data protection concerns continued, 3. left behind: rural and elderly due to digital divide, 4. usability and design limitations, and 5. single, citizen-centric platform expectations. Efficiency and accessibility of digital services are valued, while concerns about inclusiveness, transparency, and service silos continued to be significant. This study makes a novel contribution by applying focus group methods to explore citizen perspectives in the Thai context, offering qualitative depth that complements prior quantitative studies on e-government adoption. The findings highlight that confidence building, bridging the digital drove, designing with a citizen-centric approach, and integrating services across agencies are paramount. Policy recommendations include enhancing data protection, investing in digital literacy, and institutionalizing citizen participation in digital governance. Citizen-centered design drives inclusive and credible digital transformation.
เอกสารอ้างอิง
Aldrees, A., & Gračanin, D. (2023). Enhancing user experience in e-government: A deep dive into e-government forms and citizen perceptions. Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Web Information Systems and Technologies (WEBIST 2023) (pp. 250–257). SCITEPRESS. https://doi.org/10.5220/0012177700003584.
Barbosa, J. D. S., Faria, E. R., & Robb, D. A. (2022). Adoption of e-government: The role of trust and trustworthiness. Revista de Administração Pública, 56(6), 1010–1031. https://www.scielo.br/j/rap/a/HRjWs9stQyNx8n96D3FJCkQ/.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021). Thematic analysis: A practical guide. SAGE Publications.
Brezzi, M., González, S., Nguyen, D., & Prats, M. (2021). An updated OECD framework on drivers of trust in public institutions to meet current and future challenges (OECD Working Papers on Public Governance, No. 48). OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/b6c5478c-en.
Digital Government Development Agency. (2023). Digital government development plan of Thailand B.E. 2566–2570. Retrieved September 15, 2025, from https://www.dga.or.th/policy-standard/policy-regulation/dga-019/dga-027/dg-plan-2566-2570/.
Distel, B., & Lindgren, I. (2023). A matter of perspective: Conceptualizing the role of citizens in e-government based on value positions. Government Information Quarterly, 40(4), 101837.
Guest, G., Namey, E., & Chen, M. (2020). A simple method to assess and report thematic saturation in qualitative research. PLOS ONE, 15(5), e0232076. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0232076.
Gupta, P., Hooda, A., Jeyaraj, A., Seddon, J. J. M., & Dwivedi, Y. K. (2024). Trust, risk, privacy and security in e-government use: Insights from a MASEM analysis. Information Systems Frontiers, 27, 1089–1105. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-024-10497-8.
Krueger, R. A., & Casey, M. A. (2015). Focus groups: A practical guide for applied research (5th ed). SAGE Publications.
Li, W. (2021). The role of trust and risk in citizens’ e-government services adoption: A perspective of the extended UTAUT model. Sustainability, 13(14), 7671. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13147671.
Nookhao, S., & Kiattisin, S. (2023). Achieving a successful e-government: Determinants of behavioral intention from Thai citizens’ perspective. Heliyon, 9(8), e18944. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18944.
OECD. (2024). OECD Survey on Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions – 2024 Results: Building Trust in a Complex Policy Environment. OECD Publishing, Paris. https://doi.org/10.1787/9a20554b-en.
Scholl, H. J. (2020). Digital government: Looking back and ahead on a fascinating domain of research and practice. Digital Government: Research and Practice, 1(1), Article 7. https://doi.org/10.1145/3352682.
van Dijk, J. (2020). The digital divide. Polity Press.
