The implications of the second assumption in support of government growth
are several. First, it becomes almost impossible to talk about downsizing and the
shrinking of the state. Instead of hollowing out, the natural tendency is for the
central government to be thickening. Despite the rhetorical statements made by the
Thaksin government about government policies to reduce the size of government,
at the end the outcome of administrative reform has always been growth. When
reform decisions are in the hands of bureaucrats and government politicians, both
will be joined at the top to expand the bureaucracy because such policy is mutually
beneficial.19 This temporal partnership between government politicians and senior
bureaucrats is evident in the 2 October 2002's structural reform of Thai ministries
which ended in an increase of Thai ministries from 13 to 2O.20 In terms of bureaucratic
expansion, a new ministry automatically brings in a new package of new positions
such as permanent secretary, director-general, office director, and head of division.
Furthermore, new laws, rules and regulations are created to empower these new
ministries and organisations. Enforcement of these rules and regulations means that
citizens have to comply with more government rules and regulations.
Bureaucratisation adds clout to the overpopulated bureaucratic class.