Abstract: The research purposes are to compare the structure and power of local administration, to compare the level of local participation in development, to compare the character of local participation in local development between Thailand and CLMV group. This study is qualitative research, accomplished by studying documents both inside and outside of country. For the in depth interview, the key informant were the local administrator, community leader and the people in each country. The qualitative data was analyzed using analytic induction, logical analysis and then described. Thai bureaucratic administration is divided into three parts, central, regional and local. On the other hand, the administration of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam is divided into two parts, central and regional or local. On openness to participation in local development, the findings of comparison between Thai, Vietnam, Myanmar and Laos are as follows. Election of local administrative organization: Thailand and Vietnam allows people to participate in the voting of local administration directly in all types. However, in Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, local administration election is absent. Only in Cambodia that power is distributed to local district council where the member is elected from the people but this is not to be confused as local administrative organization. Giving opinion the theme in this topic is similar among counties in the way that the people have access and opportunity to share opinion via. public meeting. Decision making: the countries are similar in this aspect in the way that the administration does not allow people to make decision on the development of their community even though the community exists. The decision making remains with the local or regional administrative organization. Operation: there is not much differences in the people participation in taking action, this is not to account the political aspect in Thailand and Cambodia. In other word, they are more involved with the administration in which they support. On the comparison of the character of people participation in community development between Thailand and Indochina country, the findings revealed that the character varied with the distribution of power. Thailand is the country with most openness in terms of people accessibility to participation in their community development as the power is most localized among the countries. Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, however are similar in term of people participation which depends on the model of administration and localization of power and people’s ability and political geography.