Publication

There is a need to include ‘political society’ in the analysis of democratic consolidation. NGOs’ claims to strengthen democracy in Thailand rest upon their claim to assist interest mobilisation on behalf of other groups within civil society - via projects for community empowerment and alliance building- and their role in advocating policies which would enhance the accountability and transparency of the Thai state. This approach is premised on a state-civil society dichotomy. Despite some significant progress on localised issues, it is argued that to enable structural change leading to the long-term and extensive political empowerment of the majority of Thailand’s rural and poor citizenry, NGOs must support the invigoration of political society in Thailand, perhaps in the form of a new political party from the grass roots.