Page 12 - kpi20440

KPI Congress 20th
12
2018
Thai Democracy on the Move

Rationale

Over the 80-year path of Thai democracy, there have been numerous attempts to
make Thai democracy sustainable, to impart quality to society, and enable people to live

peacefully. This effort is reflected in the design of the constitution, attempting to lay foundations
for good governance, adjust power structures, establish autonomous agencies to create balance

of power, promote good political culture, strengthen people’s politics, and promote genuine
decentralization. However, there were few successes among these attempts. Thailand still

faces the challenge of creating a quality democratic society in the changing global context.

Meanwhile, democratic countries of the world are facing new situations and new
challenges. Countries that were original models of democracy are experiencing democracy in

retreat. Some newly democratizing countries have made accomplishments in their transitions
toward democracy, but other countries have failed. It would thus be useful for Thailand to

draw experiences from various countries as it deals with the current situation.

Thailand is stepping into another crucial period of democracy transition, through

national reform with the National Strategy, through the “Thailand 4.0” concept, and with new
election rules under the 2017 Constitution. King Prajadhipok’s Institute, as a national institution

for research on politics and administration, sees the importance of studying national and
international experiences and exchanging knowledge together in order to find a way forward.

As this will be an important step for Thai democracy, we have chosen to dedicate our annual
academic seminar to the topic.

Objectives

(1) To share past experiences of promoting and developing democracy in Thailand
and in other countries among relevant Thai and foreign academics and experts.

(2) To generate suggestions for driving Thai democracy through a diverse stakeholder
partnership model in order to transform Thailand into a sustainable democratic
หลักการและก�าหนดการ
society.