Реферат: Thailand Political Culture Essay Research Paper INTRODUCTIONFor
Thailand’s political parties were severely restricted for several decades following the 1932 change of government but have multiplied since that time. Many parties serve as the personal political machines of individuals or small groups, and few represent defined ideologies. More than a dozen parties contested the elections of 1996. Among the most prominent were the centrist Democrat (Prachathipat) Party; the New Aspiration Party of former prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh; and the Chat Thai (Thai Nation) Party, associated with the military.
Thailand’s judiciary is composed of the Supreme Court, highest court of law in the country. Under it is the Court of Appeals and also magistrate’s courts and provincial courts. The country is also a member of many different international organizations such as the UN, and other UN agencies like the IMF, UNESCO, FAO and ASEAN.
A PEEK INTO THAILAND’S PAST . . .
The First Kingdom People have lived in what is now Thailand for at least 20,000 years, with groups migrating from India and southern China about 4,000 years ago, and more recently from Myanmar (Burma) and Cambodia. In many ways, though, the history of Thailand (known as Siam until 1939) can be said to begin with the founding of the independent kingdom of Sukhothai in 1238. This period of great cultural growth lasted just a century, a time during which the tiny kingdom absorbed elements of neighboring cultures. From China came fine potters who established the famous kilns at Sawankhalok, and contact occurred with India via the trade route. From Cambodia, Thailand absorbed elements of administration as well as architecture. When King Ramathibodi assumed the throne in 1350, he moved his kingdom to Ayuthaya – one of the world’s most fertile areas, situated where three great tributaries join to form the mighty Chao Phraya River. The Ayuthaya kingdom flourished during the next four centuries, conquering Cambodia and the surviving states in the north. Foreign Influence During the 17th century, the country opened its door to the West, establishing contact with England, Denmark, Japan, and France. Trade flourished; Siam had its place in the world and was known for its fine cloth, spices, metals, and semiprecious stones. The Burmese, who had waged war with Siam almost continually since the 15th century, sacked Ayuthaya in 1767. The days of the Burmese overlords were numbered however, and their reign was shortly terminated when General Phya Tak proclaimed himself king. When the general, who became known as Taksin the Great, was executed by his ministers in 1782, the crown passed to General Chao Phya Chakri, who took the name Rama I. The founder of the present dynasty of Thai kings, he moved his capital to the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya River and named it Krung Thep – Bangkok. Rama I reined for some 27 years and successfully kept the Burmese at bay. The British and Thai governments concluded a commercial treaty in 1826. Because of the rights and privileges obtained by this agreement, British influence increased in Thailand throughout the remainder of the 19th century. However, the statesmanship of King Mongkut (fictionalized in The King and I and Anna and the King of Siam) and his son King Chulalongkorn the Great enabled Thailand to avoid the fate of colonization that befell its neighbors, although the negotiations ended up costing Thailand a great deal of territory. The World Wars Siam entered World War I (1914-18) on the side of the Allies in July 1917 and subsequently became a founding member of the League of Nations. In June 1932 a small group of Thai military and political leaders organized a successful revolt against the absolute monarchy. Supported by Japan, the new government negotiated with France the return of territory ceded since 1893. Thailand’s relations with Japan became increasingly friendly, and when World War II broke out, Thailand capitulated immediately to the Japanese invasion to avoid “unnecessary bloodshed of its people,” and in fact declared war on the United States and Great Britain in 1942. However, the pro-Japanese government was overthrown two years later, and the new leadership encouraged sympathy for the Allied cause. Thailand resumed diplomatic relations with the United States in 1946 and became the 55th member of the United Nations on 15 December 1946. A Time of Unrest The last half of the 20th century has been marked by internal political difficulties. In 1947 a military junta seized control of the government. The ensuing dictatorship was overturned in 1951. A subsequent coup by the military seven years later resulted in the suspension of the constitution. Political rights slowly regained ground throughout the 1960s, but military rule was re-established in 1971. Student-led demonstrations in 1973 resulted in the appointment of a civilian cabinet, but instability reigned throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, with the government often changing hands. First, in the 1980’s the government was known to have been democratic but in 1991, the military leaders staged a coup removed the Premier from his office and appointed an interim civilian government. In February 1995 the government passed a sweeping pro-democracy package that amended almost all the articles of the constitution passed in 1991. The changes included lowering the voting age from 20 to 18 years, and Thai citizens were guaranteed due process and equal justice under the law.
University of the Philippines in the Visayas
Tacloban College
Tacloban City
THEORIES ON POLITICAL SYSTEMS
Country analysis: PUERTO RICO
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Submitted to:
Prof. Ladylyn Mangada
In partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements in Pol. Sci. 101
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Mary Kristine P. Gardiola
98-46022
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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ANALYSIS
Thailand has one of the most diverse cultures in the world that this culture is one of the greatest influences on the way that the Thai people go about their lives. It also influences all the other parts of the government and the society including the government and also the way that they handle their economy. Thus, Thailand’s political culture is as complicated as their culture.
With the use of the theories on political culture by Gabriel Almond and Sidney Verba, Thailand’s political culture is very hard to examine. Its political culture seems to fit all the theories involved. First, it is a participant political culture because although the people do not vote for the chief executives, they still consider themselves as a big factor in the election process. However, it also fits in the parochial type where some of the people are distanced from their national government. These people are the farmers who just want to go on with their lives without having to connect with the national government. Still, Thailand also has a subject political culture because some other group of people view themselves as subjects wherein their lives are directed by the political process above them. The youth of Thailand fit into this type because they are very passive about it and they do not want to discuss it. They seem to think that they can do without it.