Research Activities
Research Projects 2024
Transformation of local governance system and civil society in Thailand: A Case study of the Khonkaen Model
Outline
Thailand's civil society, which had its roots in the late 1980s, is now taking on a new role in the local governance infrastructure that has changed since the September 2006 coup and into the authoritarian era in 2023. This study analyzes the emergence of a new civil society accompanying the transformation of local governance in Thailand, which has not been covered in research since the 2010s, using the case of Khon Kaen City in northeastern Thailand.
The activities of Khon Kaen civil society (citizen groups, economic organizations, university researchers, etc.) took advantage of the opportunity created during the democratization era of the 1990s when a system for expressing opinions on local development plans was established, and gradually expanded its network with local governments. Furthermore, Khon Kaen civil society elites have stepped up their efforts to reform the system of central-local relations, and from 2017 onwards, under the "Smart City" plan, they have created a unique Light Rail Transit (LRT) initiative to attract foreign and domestic private investment as a joint venture between local governments and local businesses. This plan is an attempt to change Thailand's local governance system, which is based on a central bureaucracy, and shift to a new type of local governance led by local governments.
This case goes beyond the framework of civil society as "an actor opposed to the state'' until the 1990s, and shows that civil society is entering public services in an attempt to access resources provided by the state and foreign capital. This study project will analyze the innovative aspects of these civic activities and their problems over time, and consider changes in the local governance system and civil society in Thailand.
Period
April 2024 - March 2026
Members
| Role | Member |
|---|---|
| [ Organizer ] | Funatsu, Tsuruyo |
*Affiliations are as of April 2024.
Expected Outcome
- The Ajia Keizai