TS4: Patronage Politics in Thailand

This virtual seminar series brings together social science experts from across the globe to discuss pressing issues facing Thailand.

As Thailand prepares for a general election in the coming months, join Dr Napon Jatusripitak to explore the enduring nature of patronage politics in the country.

Despite drastic changes in Thailand’s political landscape in the past two decades, many Thai political parties and candidates have returned to patronage politics in their attempt to win elections. Through vote-canvassing networks made up of local government and elected officials, community leaders, and influential figures, parties and candidates continue to offer money, favors, jobs, and privileged access to government resources to individuals or groups whose support can be expected in return. This webinar explores how patronage politics has not only survived but also thrived in Thailand. Drawing on fieldwork involving in-depth interviews with politicians and vote canvassers, it highlights the surprising adaptability of patronage politics as an instrument for building and maintaining support, whether in a framework centralized around a populist leader, or one dominated by a military regime.

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