Political Propaganda in Thailand

Thesis Statement

The elaborate and complex uses of propaganda by the governments in Thailand have been the hazardous threads of the nation in many aspects.

Introduction

Propaganda may be defined as the activity, or the art, of inducing others to behave in a way in which they would not behave in its absence. (Edelstein, 13) First, it is not limited in scope to any type of communication system. For the most part people in Thailand tend to use it in connection with their local politics. But not all political propaganda is psychological and not all propaganda is political. Thus, its practice varies from place to place.

Overview

The environmental movement in Thailand has become a significant force in recent years, notably since the successful campaign to prevent construction of the Nam Choan Dam in 1988. The movement has drawn in a wide range of social, economic and political actors in Thai society (Boonyaketmala, 334-355), yet it has also maintained its role as a significant challenge to dominant patterns of development and vested interests embodied in the status quo. In this respect, environmentalism represents an oppositional force, but one that has, ironically, been increasingly inclusive. Propaganda thus signifies a change in the way in which politics is carried out in Thailand, whereby coalitions of interests are assembled to challenge the centralized decision-making of the political elite. This aspect presents certain contradictions within the terror of propaganda itself, whereby strategic dilemmas arise in relation to concerns over co-optation as the reverse side of enhanced legitimacy of opposition.

There is little doubt that Thailand's political propaganda, however defined, is growing. There has been considerable discussion of what and who constitutes the black and white fallacy. (LePoer, 11-19) For present purposes, the growing numbers of professionals and media experts involved in politics is sufficient evidence of a ...