To understand the dynamics of superior-subordinate relationships in the Thai bureaucracy, one must go beyond explanations derived from formal patterns of interaction, e.g. organizational charts. Indeed, the conventional belief among scholars is that the working of politics and administration within the Thai administrative setting can be best revealed by taking into consideration informal aspects of the phenomenon. In other words, much that is left unexplained by looking at the formal scheme can be made clear through recourse to the informal perspective.