THE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA BY THAI POLITICIANS TO BUILD A DIGITAL VOTER BASE

Abstract

This academic article aimed to comprehensively study the patterns, strategies, impacts, and future trends of the use of social media by Thai politicians in building voter bases in the digital era. The research methodology utilized a documentary research approach and descriptive content analysis. Data were systematically collected from concepts, theories, related literature, and big data analytics. Additionally, the study integrated three specific case studies: the strategic use of the Clubhouse application by a former leader, the TikTok strategy of the Move Forward Party during the 2023 general election, and a local election campaign via TikTok in 2024. The study found that social media has fundamentally transformed political communication structures from a vertical system dependent on mainstream media into a horizontal system, empowering politicians to engage and communicate directly with citizens. This critical transformation enables political parties and individual politicians to create awareness, shape political images, and foster political participation much more rapidly and effectively. Major digital platforms significantly influencing Thai politics include Facebook, TikTok, and X (Twitter), with each possessing distinct characteristics for reaching various target audiences. Successful political parties commonly employ emotional content strategies, online political identity construction, popular culture integration, and two-way communication to build genuine closeness with citizens. Furthermore, the 2023 general election demonstrated that online popularity could be successfully transformed into actual votes, especially among younger voters raised entirely within a digital environment. However, the use of social media in politics also generates concerning negative impacts on Thai society and democracy, particularly concerning fake news dissemination, political polarization, and echo chamber phenomena that encourage citizens to consume only information aligned with their existing beliefs. Moreover, the rapid emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Deepfake technologies has created complex new challenges regarding effective regulation and the basic credibility of political information. The study concluded that developing media literacy and AI literacy among citizens, alongside establishing robust and collaborative governance mechanisms among the government, private sectors, and civil society, are absolutely essential factors for the future development of digital politics and Thai democracy.