The Political Economy of Telecommunicatons Reforms in Thailand

Book excerpt: A study of the changing character of state-society relations in contemporary Thailand, using the telecommunications industry as a case study. It examines the privatization and gradual reforms of the 1980s and 1990s and the political dynamics behind these policies, as well as conflicts and co-operation among the various players and their interests. The book also covers bureaucratic and political corruption and their implications for Thailand's political democratization and economic liberalization. It argues not only that the bureaucracy is no longer the dominant power in Thai politics, but also that the country has moved towards a more pluralistic socio-political system in which a broadly-based liberalization coalition has emerged.