Thaksin’s Government Administrative Reformation Research And Analysis

Since People’s Party (Khana Ratsadon) had instigated the revolution transforming Thai government from absolute to constitutional monarchy in1932, the nation’s political condition had been a constant struggle for power. Public service sectors, however, had always been the same. There had not been amendments, reforms or any changes for that matter. Thailand’s public service system remained highly conservative. The outdated view had created a huge amount of problems within organizations, which themselves had been ineffective in dealing with the challenges of globalization.After the the Revolution, Thailand had been governed by military dictatorships for a long period. Seventy years of "Public Servants’ Reign" had blurred the boundaries between the responsibilities of politics and public administration. On one hand, political system lacked strength and stability. On the other hand, public administration or public service, especially the military, had enjoyed a superior political status. That had been, until Thaksin Shinawatra’s administration.Thaksin Shinawatra’s first term as the Prime Minister had inspired many political and social changes. Political institutions had been vastly ameliorated. The people’s need to take part in politics had increased. Political parties and the Royal Family had played more significant roles. The military, however, had decreased in political power. These factors had contributed in Shinawatra’s Thai Rak Thai Party winning the2005legislative election by a landslide, becoming the only party in Thai history to have successfully formed a single party government that had entered its second term safely.Consequently, Shinawatra’s government had gained sufficient power to amend and revolutionize the antiquated and conservative public service system that consisted of many powerful figures. The new method of administration was based primarily on business ideology; profitability, customer service, downsizing of the system etc. Therefore, it was impossible to avoid conflicts over power and interest between political groups and public servants. This would eventually be one of the causes affecting the stability of the politics and the government itself. This thesis is determined to analyze the determinants of Thailand’s political instability as a result of the administrative reform during Thaksin Shinawatra’s premiership. Using aspects of modernization, social change and hegemonic stability theories, this thesis analyzes what would have been the outcome of the reform as the new concept of public administration emphasizing on business style of management had been utilized to restructure the dated, conservative and proud system of public service.Chapter I states the subject’s importance and meaning and my reasons for choosing this subject of study along with its terms of reference and research methods.Chapter II provides definition for new public administration theory and identifies its benefits and disadvantages. Moreover, it defines hegemonic stability, social change and modernization theories.Chapter III explores the historical background of Thailand; its political changes and developments from different eras including the challenges Thaksin Shinawatra’s government had had to face during the administrative reform and the political condition at that time. Readers would be better acquainted with the history of Thai politics, its characteristics and its effects on the public sectors.Chapter IV aims to describe in detail the contents of the administrative reform, which can be separated into3aspects:government involvement, public service and public policy.Chapter V analyzes the outcome of administrative reform based on its three main aspects: government involvement, public service and public policy, from perspectives of different political groups, i.e. conservatives, Royal Family, military, civil servants, middle-class and lower-class citizens and rice farmers. Furthermore, this chapter explains the effects that the reform has had on each geographical regions. The end of the chapter includes an analysis of the effects the reform has had on Thai political stability using hegemonic stability, social change and modernization theories as bases.