The Place of the Provinces in Thailand’s Twenty-Year National Strategy: Toward Community Democracy in a Commercial Nation?

Abstract

Thailand’s 2017 constitution introduced a poorly understood innovation into the country’s politics and governance. Drafted under the auspices of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) junta that seized power in Bangkok in May 2014, the charter refers in its preamble to a “national strategy” (yutthasat chat). Various of its sections specify that the goal of this strategy is “sustainable development of the country in accordance with the principles of good governance”, that the strategy will serve as a framework for other plans consistent with that goal, and that draft government budgets must demonstrate alignment with the strategy. Further, new governments’ policy statements must accord with the strategy, and the Senate is to monitor compliance with it. By means of royal decree signed by NCPO head and Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha and issued on 8 October 2018, the Bangkok government unveiled the twenty-year National Strategy, covering 2018-2037, five days later. The decree repeated the language in the constitution concerning the purpose of the strategy. The 72-page text of the strategy was appended to the decree.