HM: Research Reports

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Browsing HM: Research Reports by Subject "Political Theory"

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    Thai Politics in the Context of Plutocracy
    (University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, 2006)
    Thanasthit, Uraiwan
    ;
    University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce. School of Humanities
    Nowadays every country in the world is under Capitalism; the capitalist economy is a necessary part of the Democratic System. According to Karl Marx’s theory of Dialectical Materialism, the factors that make people happy are a good economy, wealth and property. These lead to the rise of the capitalist who seizes power, which in turn can lead to a state of monopoly. When the capitalists enter politics, business power structures become subservient to political power structures. Businessmen took over politics; money is used to acquire state power, and that power is used to obtain more money. Thai politics has adopted the pattern of a “Plutocracy”. Democracy is only in form, not in substance. A Plutocracy is politics for power, interest and extra benefit for the political elites.Plutocracy has become a part of Thai politics because of two main causes: first is that the democratic structure is not strong enough, and secondly there are three missing parts in Thai politics: political culture in the democratic way, the decentralization of power to local provinces, and active people’s politics.Plutocracy cause these following serious problems in Thai politics: business politics, election abuse, and a lack of ethics and morality in politicians. Business politics leads to corruption, especially in the context of conflict of interests and the integrative corruption in many mega projects. That is why politicians become rich very quickly and become entrenched in a position. They use money to buy ballot papers. After their victory they use their power to earn more money. The corruption in election is increasing rapidly and widely day by day. Most of the politicians that walk into the Thai Parliament are lacking of quality and ethics.At present Thailand is under the plutocracy political model, it has become “money politics”. We have to control it within borders and we must find the methods to minimize this undesirable system. Efficient measures to protect Thai politics from plutocracy are to use the principle of Sufficiency Economy erected by King Phumiphol at once, solving the problem of structure in Thai politics, the economic problems and the implementation of a political culture in the democratic way. All four measures above have to be implemented simultaneously. It is imperative that these problems be solved because if left too long it will destroy the whole system of Thai society. Plutocracy must be restricted until it gradually fades out from Thai politics.
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