The political economy of telecommunicatons reforms in Thailand

Much debate on the changing political economy of Thailand surfaced in the 1970s, after a military regime which ruled the country for decades was toppled by the mass uprisings in 1973. The 1973 event marked a watershed in the political history of Thailand when students, businessmen, and other 'extra-bureaucratic forces' posed credible challenges to the military and bureaucratic power. Nevertheless, a coup in 1976 brought the military and bureaucratic elites back into power while many students and left-wing elements were suppressed or driven into the jungle. As many people began to think once again that the 1973 uprisings were a temporary disruption of the bureaucratic predominance, another coup then took place in 1977 and brought with it political reconciliation that allowed more political freedom and participation by political parties in national politics. Against this political backdrop, Thailand had often been referred to as a 'bureaucratic polity' or ammattayatippatai in Thai, and the early political economy debate focused mainly on the bureaucratic power and the extent to which extra-bureaucratic forces could survive independently from state control.