The Political Economy of Decentralization in Thailand: How Past and Present Decentralization Affects rural Actors' Participation

Decentralization is no guaranty for political participation. The Thai decentralization process of the last two decades represents an ideal regional case to investigate forces that influence political participation. The Tambon Administration Organization as one means of and likewise outcome of the decentralization process serves as an example to discuss the effects of decentralization on participation, using the concept of accountability. After increasing decentralization efforts at the end of the 1990s, the last decade was characterized by centralization policies. Political unrest could potentially trigger a new wave of decentralization. Presently, however, no political forces exist that push decentralization further. Thus, we expect to see more centralization and a possible reduction of political participation.