The Tokenism to Shared Decision-Making: An Analysis of Arnstein’s Ladder of Participation in Thai Public Administration

Abstract

This academic article aims to analyze the levels of public participation in the Thai public administration system by using Arnstein’s Ladder of Participation as a framework for explaining the power relations between the state and citizens in the public policy-making process. The article begins with a review of the concept of public participation in public administration and its relationship with the principles of good governance, before presenting Arnstein’s Ladder of Participation and critiques of the framework in the context of contemporary governance. It then analyzes public participation mechanisms in Thailand through selected cases, including the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process, the public consultation process for draft legislation, and the local development planning process. The analysis finds that most public participation mechanisms in Thailand remain at the level of tokenism, particularly at the informing and consultation stages, which are not yet meaningfully connected to decision-making power in the policy process. The article argues that these limitations are rooted in the centralized state structure, which restricts the roles of local administrative organizations and the public in policy formulation and the allocation of public resources. Regarding policy recommendations, the article indicates that advancing participation from tokenism to shared decision-making must be undertaken alongside decentralization, the effective disclosure of public information, and the development of shared decision-making mechanisms at the local level, so that public participation can genuinely function as an institutional mechanism of democracy and good governance.