3 - Thai Bureaucratic Behaviour: The Impact of Dual Values on Public Policies

Summary

Introduction

Since the undertaking of bureaucratic reforms in the second half of the nineteenth century by King Chulalongkorn, Thai bureaucracy has expanded in both size and role. Although the King may have had other motives for restructuring his bureaucracy, he genuinely sought a more effective and efficient administrative system. The King was convinced of the necessity to renovate the machinery of government partly on account of the following conditions which Malcolm Smith described:

There was no fixed code of laws; no system of general education; no proper control of revenue and finance; no postal or telegraph service …. The opium laws were badly administered; there was no medical organization. … There was no army or modern railways and almost no roads.

In renovating the government's machinery, the King not only reformed his court structure but also introduced a new educational system. As David K. Wyatt puts it, the King felt that “literacy and general improvement in educational standards worked to the benefit of the society as a whole”. Educational reform, however, was originally concentrated among younger members of the royal family and nobility 4 so that they would be available to provide “better” service in the royal bureaucracy. Thus, King Chulalong korris educational reform was, in part, a supporting mechanism to facilitate his bureaucratic reform. In undertaking educational reform as well as re-forming the court structure, King Chulalongkorn initiated and supported the first major bureaucratic growth in Thailand.

The second major growth of the Thai bureaucracy was related to the 1932 revolution. An important spark for this revolution was a decision by King Prachathipok to reduce the number of bureaucrats, an action known as dullqyaparp (balancing), because of a financial crisis in the country. The dullqyaparp which created widespread dissatisfaction, was an important contributing factor to the 1932 revolution. Almost all the key leaders of the revolution were either civilian or military bureaucrats, including Pridi Panomyong, Col. Praya Phaholpolpayuhasena, Col. Praya Songsuradaj, and Major Phibulsongkram.