Succession Of the Political Power of Local Politicians to The Level of National Politics

Abstract

Local government in Thailand began with the reform of the government in the reign of King Rama V and resulted in changes that occurred in local areas through the implementation of a clear policy of decentralization of government power to local areas with the goal that effective local administrative organizations must adhere to the principle of decentralization of power to the people, which is that the people should be central to and have responsibility and independence in setting policy involving administration, personnel, finances and economics and tangible authority of their own. Following the promulgation of the constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand in 1997, by focusing on allowing the state transfer of duties and allowing localities to be the providers of public services, a clear legal framework was created based on the intentions of the public. However, by considering the characteristics of the politics of local politicians, it can be seen that there are close relationships with the appearance of a patronage system, which causes the local power to remain bound to the central power, with local politicians functioning as the base of the politicians at the national level, and that the majority have a social or family backgrounds with a strong economic status that has an effect on their decision-making and influential power through these patronage relationships with the bases of support from various groups in local areas. Through the exchange of mutual benefits, the power base of politicians is thus created by using the methods based on kinship relationshps and affiliations, as well as rewards or compulsion, which result in the continuous succession of local power.