The “Regulatory Room”: Increasing Regulatory Compliance in Thailand

Developing countries have limited options for increasing regulatory compliance by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). One promising approach is to allow SMEs to directly contribute to the regulatory process through Notice and Comment (N&C) Systems, potentially leading to increased compliance. Small business owners, however, often find it challenging to meaningfully engage with these systems. In this project, DCID researchers helped the Thai Government modify its N&C system to empower SME owners to provide better feedback to policymakers. The goal is to make Thailand’s regulation-making process more participatory and representative and, hopefully, lead to higher compliance and enhanced public safety.

This project aims to address three primary barriers to a successful N&C system: low quality engagement, lack of trust, and high costs—primarily through an online “Regulatory Room.” In this platform, non-government experts can help business owners improve the clarity and relevance of their comments so that policymakers can better understand and address feedback. By creating a safe, effective, third-party platform, the project hopes to increase engagement from communities that are wariest of the Government and most historically neglected in Thailand. Digitalizing the N&C system also lowers the cost for engagement and allows more individuals to be involved, given widespread access to mobile phones and internet in Thailand. The effectiveness of digital N&C systems remains largely untested, and this project aims to determine whether investing in these systems will lead to increased compliance with regulations. 

Methods and Results