New communication and information technologies and Thailand

1
Political Information in Thailand

• New communication and information technologies
  and Thailands new politics

2
Coverage

• Impact of new technologies on politics since 2005
• Quality of political informationhow much must
  citizens knowquality of deliberations

3
A longish sketch of recent Thai politics

• Many regime changes, many constitutions
• By late 1980s, was democracy taking hold?
• 1997 constitutioncivil and community
  rightsaccountability institutionsnew electoral
  system helping to produce
• Strong single party government in 2001

4
Thaksin Shinawatra

• Telecommunications tycoon
• Extensive use of marketing, advertising
• Monopoly over broadcast, cowing print media
• Delivered on promises, very popular

5
After the 2005 elections

• Sale of Shin Corporation
• Rising political opposition
• Media mogul Sondhi and PAD

6
April 2006 elections

• Opposition boycott
• Kings intervention
• Political polarization
• September coup

7
Coup government

• New constitution
• New elections
• Return of Thaksins parties
• Return of PAD mobilization

8
New coalition government

• Red Shirt mobilization
• Demonstrations/riots April 2009
• Seizure of Thaksins assets
• Red Shirt mobilization 2010

9
July 2011 elections

• Return of Thaksins parties

10
Recap

• 1995, Thai citizens becoming more participatory?
• Political information from TV
• Changing information landscapemobilization and
  polarization
• Thaksin and Sondhi

11
Thaksin on the fly

• Constant presence
• Televised debate

12
State of emergency

• Doctored audio tape
• Incitements to hate and violence
• Incendiary rhetoric
• Harassing journalists

13
Propaganda war

• Red Shirt orchestration
• Crisis stemming from propaganda?
• Media soul searching
• Mainstream view
• Red Shirt view
• Media Monitor view
• Lies, spectacle, deliberations

14
Conclusions

• Information access as leveling force
• Iron law of oligarchy
• Deliberations and niche markets
• Singapore versus Thailand

15
More reading?

• Danny Unger, Flying Blind,
• Poowin Boonyavejchewin, Internet Politics
  Internet as a Political Tool in Thailand
  Canadian Social Science, 63, June 2010