Old Car with New Engine: Understanding Bureaucratic Reform in Thailand and Future Problem

Abstract

This article aims to explain reformation patterns in Thai bureaucracy and problem in the future. By analyzing significant bureaucratic reform in Thai history, found that bureaucratic reform had 2 patterns; structural reform and method reform. Structural reform could be occurring promptly and has concrete results but its success depended on strong and unity of political power with no resistant, however, this type of change would lead to centralization of power at the end. While, method reform takes more time to change because of traditional working method familiarity. The main cause of reform in method is economic crisis and change in technologies, in addition, this type of change has been processing since Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra period and obviously in National Strategy 2018-2037 resulting in more improvement of public service efficiently and effectively. Opposed to structural reform that has no significant change—central administration still has immense power, strong hierarchical control and limited and controlled local administration and civil society, in other words, old bureaucratic structure is incompatible with new method. This will decreasing effective and efficiency of bureaucratic capacities and obstruct to the success in National Strategy 2018-2037 and National Reform Plan. So, structural reform is necessary in the future, however, this requires strong and unity of political power and must be protect problem of centralized power as well.