Analysis of the Song and Political Communication in Public Policy, Populist, the Kukrit Pramod Government to the Civil State in the General Prayut Chan-Ocha Government

Abstract

This article presents an analytical presentation with the main objective to study the main message of the song that influenced political communication. The article also aims to highlight the importance of the song that is used as a medium or a tool for communicating with people, and as a medium for the continuous transmission of political characteristics and ideologies from 1973 to 1976. The article tends to shed some light on the political and social context that longs for rights, liberties, and democracy. The constitution is called upon through the use of the local folk song to communicate the ideologies and ideas of both students and intellectuals. On the other hand, there was a response from the government through the use of provocative music. Later, in 1992, many artists used the songs to create a political collective consciousness to protest the government. After the 2014 coup d’état led by general Prayut, the song was used as a government’s tool of promising to people through political communication.

The public policy that the Thai governments in various eras used to address the poverty problems, could be presented in two forms which are: “populism” in the government of Kukrit Pramod and “civil state” in the government of General Prayut Chan-ocha. They employed the meaning of the song to express the feelings of people at that time. It pictured the political situation, economy, society, government policies as well as the quality of political leadership. The songs also help to illustrate the behaviors of the leaders in different eras which people could learn and come to their conclusion of what kind of leader Thai society would need.