Several international public relations scholars have highlighted the structural components of a country or national entity that influence international PR. The infrastructure of Thailand can be categorized into these following four elements political, economic, legal, and activism.
Political Structure:
According to Zaharna, the political structure of a country “focuses on the institutions that govern decision making and power relationships.” Thailand is a constitutional monarchy, under which form of government the King serves the People of Thailand as “HEAD OF STATE”, under the terms of the Constitution of Thailand. In 1997, Thailand adopted a new Constitution, which is now in effect, although certain provisions of that Constitution will not take full effect until after new elections are held. These current provisions are known as “Transitory Provisions”, and some do not take effect for several years after its adoption, to give the parliament enough time to enact appropriate new laws. According to http://www.thailawforum.com/articles/briggsgov.html, “bills [are] passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate become law upon approval of the bill by the King. The King has the power to approve or disapprove bills adopted by the Parliament; bills do not become effective as laws without the approval of the King, unless later re-approved by the Parliament.”
Thailand Government includes three branches much like the United States of America. The Prime Minister (whom is selected by the House of Representatives) primarily runs the executive government, but it also consists of “the ministers of the various ministries, deputy ministers, and the permanent officials of the various ministries of the government.” The Prime Minister is the “Head of Government.” He is responsible for the administration of all government agencies except the courts and the legislative bodies.
The Legislative Branch of Government includes The Parliament, also known as the National Assembly. This branch of the government is the law-making arm of the government, charged with primary responsibility for adoption of laws to govern the Thai society. The National Assembly consists of the two legislative bodies, which include “lower house of parliament” and “upper house of parliament”. The Judicial Branch of the government consists of all the courts of Thailand. The courts are independent bodies, intended to serve as a “check and balance” on both the Executive and Legislative branches of government. The judiciary hears cases involving actual conflicts between individuals, between individuals and businesses, or between individuals or businesses and the government, and decides each case on its own merits. Courts of Thailand consist of the Trial Courts (courts of the first instance), the Appeal Courts, and the Supreme Court. Due to a balance of power, “each of the three branches of government has a degree of control over the actions of the other branches of government.”
Economic Structure:
Thailand is a newly industrialized country. Its economy is heavily export-dependent, with exports accounting for more than two-thirds of its gross domestic product (GDP). In 2012, according to the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board, Thailand had a GDP of THB11.375 trillion (US$366 billion). The Thai economy grew by 6.5 percent, with a headline inflation rate of 3.02 percent and an account surplus of 0.7 percent of the country’s GDP. In 2013, the Thai economy is expected to grow any where from 3.8-4.3 percent.
According to http://www.heritage.org/index/country/thailand, Thailand’s economic freedom score is 64.1, making its economy the 61st freest in the 2013 index. Thailand is ranked 10th out of the 41 Asia-Pacific regions, and the country’s overall score is higher than the world and regional averages. The three most important industries in Thailand are electronic, automobile, and tourism; all which contribute to high GDP rates in these areas of business.
Legal System:
Thailand has “a codified system of law” or known as civil law system country. Content of laws derived from laws of other countries with well-developed legal systems such as Great Britain. In addition, the code of law in Thailand was also drafted by impact of countries with codified system of law. These countries included France, Germany, and Japan as well as by effort of traditional and customary law of Thailand in the past.
http://scholarship.law.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1004&context=lps_lsapr
According to http://www.thailaws.com/index_legal_system.htm, “ When a dispute is brought before the judge, the court will decide a case based on an interpretation of the statutory provisions.” Thailand has three classes of courts, which can be classified by their retrospective methods of hearing. First, are the Courts of First Instance or also known as Trial Courts. Courts of First Instance conduct the original trail of cases and render decisions. The judge decides both issues of fact and law. The second court is The Court of Appeals. If a party disagrees with the decision of the lower court, they can appeal to the next level. However, the Court of Appeals focuses more on legal issues rather than factual issues. The final court is known as the Supreme Court or Dika Court. If a party disagrees with the decision of the Court of Appeals, then he or she can take the case to Dika Court; the decision made by this court is final. It is important to understand that “Thailand does not recognize foreign judicial judgments. A party may not enforce a judgment adjudicated in a foreign country and a new proceeding must be initiated.”
Activism:
Feminism in Thailand has been a growing concern for a long time as well as inequality between gender roles. Thai feminism is facilitated through a medium of social movement groups. For example, “the Foundation for Women and the Friends of Women Foundation, have been working on improving women’s lives in the workplace.” These organizations have also focused on the issues concerning sexual violence and human trafficking. The Association for the Promotion of the Status of Women (APSW) “has been calling for legal changes to guarantee the equal political rights and state protection for women.” There are also organizations working on sexuality issues, such as the Women’s Health Advocacy Foundation. For instance, The EMPOWER, and SWING (Service Workers in Group Foundation) have focused on sex workers.
http://www.gwi-boell.de/web/democracy-thailand-feminism-movement-society-essay-3397.html
Public Relations in Thailand 