THE BUREAUCRACY AND PLUTOCRATIC POLITY
The Sarit Era (1947-1963), the business groups were closely tied to government officials due to for their business interests, the government officials were invited to be partners not only into the administrative committee but also to partake in business incentives. This alliance consisting of Administrative officials and the Bureaucrats played a political role since the government emphasized a neo-liberal economy,81thus the Thai economic structure was transferred to the capitalists who monopolized the Thai economic system.
The 1974 and 1978 constitutions responded to the political participation and parliamentary system that resulted in the development of economic growth successfully. Thus, Thailand became the a NIC (new industrial country), On the contrary the political dilemma created the imbalance system of the democratic development and the business groups whose power was growing above the government officials, resulted from their political participation. During this period, the constitution gave way to the political structural changed and offered the opportunity to the business groups to play political role by establishing political parties and join the general elections. Thus, they supported various political parties and became members of administrative committees in various political parties that enabled them to become ministers. These business groups could play an economic role by monopolizing power which brought direct change to the economic situation in the society and effected directly the political situation. They formed many organizations and associations such as the association of commerce, chamber of commerce, etc. these organizations expanded and increased in number and became even more developed than the labor unions and agriculture co-operatives.82 Thus, the period after the end of the half way democracy, the system of political business or so called ‘plutocracy’ under the business group was obviously seen. Money became a source of power in Thailand, and manipulated everything. The sign of plutocracy is ‘vote buying’. Many members of parliament, representatives and ministers came from the business groups.83
It is important to note here that the impact from Preme policies made it difficult for the Left Wing to get elected from the general election due to the vote broker System which was created in Thai society, the vote brokers and money became very important sources during the election campaign. The candidates approached directly the vote brokers instead of meeting their people; the political parties did not make any attractive policies to interest (garner votes) their people. On the contrary, they invited businessmen and well-known persons to join their political parties as party members. It was clear that the election system needed large sums of money since the capitalists bought political parties. The political parties bought the candidates. The candidates bought the vote brokers. And the vote brokers bought votes from the common people.84 Furthermore, Preme encouraged the representatives to join in the Cabinet and arranged the government budget for them to develop their own provinces. This encouragement motivated the representatives to be the cabinet members. As a result, many capitalists became interested in playing a political role since they had enough money. This change resulted in decreased opportunity of good candidates who did not have enough money for the election campaign. Moreover, the political parties had to satisfy the capitalist groups more than their people. This caused weakness in the Thai political parties’ system.85
THE EMERGENCE OF A VICIOUS CIRCLE PAVED THE WAY FOR SOCIO-POLITICAL PROBLEMSUNDER THE SYSTEM-PLUTOCRACY
Since the Plutocracy system had been adopted into the society, the problem of vote–buying and electoral fraud, one of the primary manifestations of corruption came into existence. Candidates bribed voters and spent enormous sums of money to get elected as was customary among politicians. The political process was influenced by vote buying; consequently corruption was made by politicians who had power in the cabinet. Thus, the problem of competition in the ministerial office or at the important ministries occurred; and the formation of a coalition government involved the bargaining for ministerial portfolios among the prospective coalition partners. The size factor or the number of elected Members of Parliament (MPs) a political party became a crucial factor. As a general rule, the greater the number of elected MPs, the greater the bargaining power. This brought about huge enterprises in the form of large projects, preplanned, arranged and allotted86 thus the interaction between the new entrants to political power or political position with the business community was taking root in Thai society.
There was no legal mechanism to prevent corruption, and any systematic rein to hold back the corruption galloping among the government administration; also worked its way into the very fabric of politics. When corruption rumors reached a crescendo, which the government could no longer ignore, a vote of no confidence was usually brought against the ruling coalition. But when the vote was called, habitually the majority prevails and in spite of a new coalition being established, nothing really changed. It merely gave members of the coalition an excuse to pull out of the coalition and maneuver to a secure advantageous position by way of forming the coalition which replaced a previous one,87 which is similar to a which old wine in a new bottle. The gullibility of rural voters could not be blamed; a sounder explanation is rooted in the continued viability of the patron-client relationship, especially as it existed between the rural electorate and its elected representatives. Politicians challenged the rule of law and legitimacy, pressuring government officials, further creating and abyss of ignorance and despair between the politicians and government workers.88 Instability of the civilian government and the inefficiency of political institutions caused chronic instability.
One of the prime culprits was Militant, Money and Muscle power wielding and holding power. There was no effective measure to deal with these Ms and the 3 Ms causing the instability of the civilian government. Their tenure was marked by strife and factionalism, reducing their effectiveness and ensuring a frequent turnover. Civilian governments had survived only as long as the coalition dominating the House survived. The conflicts between the coalition partners reduced the shelf life of civilian governments. This strife perpetuated the destructive cycle of corruption and patronage. It meant that the "super-ministries", those with the lion’s share of the state fiscal pie, are the ones most sought after by any party participating in the coalition. When these machinations are too egregious for the public to digest, a vote of no confidence is the usual tool used by coalition parties to extricate them from a tainted coalition.89 No confidence motion is the healthy sign of a democratic system.
THE VICIOUS CIRCLE IN THE PLUTOCRACY PERIOD
The vicious cycle of civilian governments replaced by military coups, and the lack of genuine constitutionalism due to lack of transparency in government and the problem of corruption. This circle starts with increasing public pressure on the civilian regime (normally functioning with the approval of the military) usually fomented by its social, political and economic dysfunction. This dysfunction is typically exacerbated by the media reporting on the regime’s overt corruption. This in turn provokes increasing political conflict between factions in the government coalition.90 In Thailand, coalition governments do not last long because they are unstable. A coalition government has serial stages of, a life-cycle. At the beginning, there is a one to three months honeymoon period. After a while, cracks appear in the coalition government. Dissatisfied members in the coalition start to “rock the boat” by demanding their respective political parties to rotate ministerial quotas so that they can become ministers. Coalition governments are, therefore, unstable and chaotic. Finally in compliance with the bureaucracy, the military steps in to restore order and establish a functional legislature, able to pass the laws the bureaucracy has drafted. Usually an interim constitution is quickly implemented followed by a permanent constitution with possibly an election to create an ostensibly civilian government. Once the government is up and running, it is allowed to enjoy a honeymoon period where everyone settles back to the business of state affairs. But then rumours of corruption arise with a renewed social and political turmoil91 causing the governmental factions wields muscles against each rival group. Thus the vicious circle begins.