Examining the Policies of Thai Political Parties

Abstract

The objectives of this article were to study theoretical concepts, analyze factual and legal issues regarding the formulation of political party policies, and propose recommendations for improving laws to enhance their effectiveness. This qualitative research focuses on examining the policies of Thai political parties. The study reveals that currently, political parties tend to formulate populist policies that offer free benefits to incentivize the public to vote for them. However, some of these policies may be unrealistic if scrutinized by agencies responsible for the country's financial budget. Additionally, the existing law, the Organic Act on Political Parties B.E. 2560, Section 57, requires political parties to submit their policies, budget information, implementation steps, and the impact of these policies only to the Election Commission of Thailand, which may be insufficient for thorough examination. Therefore, it is recommended that the Election Commission be mandated to forward the political party policies to the Ministry of Finance for review, particularly in cases where the policies involve substantial financial expenditures and lack clear sources of funding. This would ensure the feasibility of implementing the policies should the political party in question come to power.