Reasons for Not Relocating Civil Registration to Mueang Si Khai Subdistrict Municipality: A Case Study of Undergraduate Students, Ubon Ratchathani University

Abstract

This research aimed to 1) investigate why students do not relocate their civil registration to Mueang Si Khai Subdistrict Municipality, 2) examine the situation and impacts of the hidden population on resource imbalance, and 3) propose management guidelines to accommodate the student hidden population. Qualitative research was conducted via in-depth interviews with 28 key informants, comprising 4 municipal policymakers and 24 undergraduate students from Ubon Ratchathani University. The findings revealed four main reasons for not relocating civil registration 1) Economic and housing factors, as students view their stay as temporary, making relocation burdensome, 2) Social and family factors, involving emotional attachment as moving out feels like diminishing family importance, 3) Welfare factors, as students can transfer universal healthcare coverage (Gold Card) without changing their house registration, and 4) Civic rights factors, as they wish to retain voting rights in hometowns, compounded by complex bureaucratic procedures that incur operational costs. Regarding the impacts, the municipality is experiencing an isolated growth, shrunken resources phenomenon, bearing the burden of over 30,000 hidden residents despite a budget allocated for only 12,885 registered individuals. This imbalance causes financial deficits, a severe solid waste crisis of 20-30 tons per day, deteriorated infrastructure, and insufficient public utilities. Policy recommendations suggest creating concrete incentives with specific benefits, alongside proactive communication to raise awareness about local development budgets. Furthermore, a One-Stop Service center within the university and online systems should be developed to facilitate registration.