Third hand or third sector? The political potential of nongovernmental organizations in Thailand.

Thai nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have opened political dialogue among elites and well-educated Thais, played instrumental roles in watershed events in Thai democratization, and assisted in mass mobilization efforts such as the Assembly of the Poor. At the same time, critical internal and external factors may be constraining their further contributions to Thai democracy, throwing into question their theoretical role as agents of the Third Sector, or civil society. Internally, the divergence between culturalist NGOs who avoid or conflict with the state, and other NGOs who see the state as a potential partner, has impeded more effective organization and coordination. Both groups reflect the incredible power of 1970s radicalization that created an NGO generation, yet neither group has been able to sink very deep roots into local political structures or into the relatively apolitical middle class from which the majority of NGO people come. The foreign funding which made NGOs possible has worked to their detriment, as local funding sources and networks have not been cultivated, harming NGO legitimacy. While the Thai middle class has been supportive of NGOs at times, there is still a level of political engagement and a commitment to participatory governance that clearly distinguishes NGO people from their middle class counterparts. Younger Thais seem to be returning to the NGO sector after the economic boom, but there is evidence that they may not be the hoped for cadre of lifers stepping forward to fill the shoes of aging October Generation careerists in the NGO world. Externally, the persistence of authoritarian norms and structures in Thai bureaucracy and in society constrains NGO activities, erodes trust in collaboration, and forces NGOs to reproduce traditional patronage relations for legitimacy. In sum, NGOs have made significant strides in opening political space for an active opposition to government policy and unchecked state power. However, the history of repression casts a long shadow on present-day ideas, roles and perceptions both within the NGO movement, and within society at large. Consequently, NGOs' ability to increase representation and achieve fuller participation for marginalized groups in Thailand's more liberal political environment is unclear.PhDPolitical scienceSocial SciencesUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/123475/2/3079529.pd