The management policy to strengthen the National Village and Urban Community Fund in Thailand: a systematic review

Abstract

The objectives of this research are to investigate the major difficulties confronting Thailand’s National Village and Urban Community Fund, as well as to establish policy and operational recommendations. This paper conducted documentary research to gather data from academic papers and research reports in the Scopus and TCI databases, which we then carefully filtered using the systematic review approach and used SOAR analysis to develop strategic policy initiatives. The study found that Thailand’s National Village and Urban Community Fund has great importance in developing grassroots economies; according to the analysis, it provides financial access and develops community engagement at a national level. However, the effectiveness of the system is also challenged by weaknesses in financial management, inadequate accounting and risk-management skills, unclear governance structures, lack of transparency, outdated technology, and an increase in non-performing loans. The strengths identified from the study were the country’s fund networks and the participation of the community. In addition, areas for enhancement are digital transformation, legal reform, capacity building, and the establishment of transparent monitoring systems. Moreover, these findings underscore the necessity of strategic reform in policy, leadership and human resource development, digital accounting and debt-monitoring mechanisms, participatory governance, and sustainable development based on BCG model as crucial techniques for efficient management actions. Furthermore, the results also indicate that improved transparency, accountability, technology integration, and community-centered management can ensure long-term sustainability, financial stability, and grassroots economic resilience in Thailand.