Public Policy Analysis Relating to Community Rights in Thailand’s Natural Resource and Environmental Management from 1932 to 2014

Abstract

This article has focuses on three objectives: to review the evolution of community rights in Thailand’s natural resource and environmental management policies, 1932-2014; to compare the community rights’ policies in this management area during 1932-1996, 1997-2006 and 2007-2014; and to propose alternative policies for the same management area. A qualitative approach examined documented data, scrutinizing them for content classification and analysis which revealed a progressive change in these policies from 1932-2014. While from 1932-1996, the policies were less addressed by the government, the main actor in natural resource and environmental management, community rights’ acknowledgement in the 1997 Constitution strengthened their receptivity from 1997-2006. From 2007-2014, community rights were more formally recognized both in the 2007 Constitution and by successive Thai governments. In this period, there was a drive to enact a specific law on community rights. However, mobilization stalled because of a lack of concrete mechanisms. This article proposes a natural resource and environmental policy based on community management. Additionally, the recommendations underscore the advantages of exploring the findings at greater depth, endorsing close observation of specific areas and communities.