SARANIYADHAMMA INTEGRATION FOR POLITICAL CONFLICT MANAGEMENT IN THAI DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM AT PHAYATHAI IN BANGKOK

Abstract

This research article aims 1. to study the level of political conflict among residents of Phaya Thai District, Bangkok; 2. to examine the relationship between the principles of Saranidhamma and political conflict management; and 3. to propose guidelines for integrating Saranidhamma principles to manage political conflict. A mixed-methods approach was employed. Quantitative data were collected from 398 residents using a questionnaire with a reliability coefficient of 0.978 and analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Qualitative data were obtained through in-depth interviews with nine key informants and analyzed using content analysis.

The results indicated that 1. the overall level of political conflict was moderate. Among the dimensions, conflict arising from power had the highest mean, followed by perception, emotions, needs, and values. 2. The six principles of Saranidhamma were positively correlated at a moderate level with political conflict management (R = .671, p < .01). By dimension, conflicts from perception and power were moderately correlated (r = .659, .620), whereas conflicts from needs, values, and emotions were low (r = .402, .485, .497). These findings reflect that applying Saranidhamma principles can enhance the creative management of political conflicts. 3. The key aspects of integrating Saranidhamma for conflict management included: Metta Karmic Actions  performing good deeds toward others; Metta Verbal Actions  speaking kindly to others; Metta Mental Actions thinking well of others; Public Sharing sharing resources; Moral Equanimity maintaining ethical standards equally; and Common Good Perspective sharing virtuous views. These strategies can effectively reduce tension and promote cooperation within society.