Abstracts Political Science

Internet and politics : the role of the Internet and civic engagement in Thailand's democratic development

by Sanyarat Meesuwan

Ph.D. University of Hawaii at Manoa 2013. Given the rising number of Internet users and online activities in Thailand, this dissertation asks how the Internet impacts the Thai society and how it contributes to the development of democracy in Thailand. The dissertation has two main objectives: 1) Study the repercussions of the Internet upon Thai society, focusing on the issue of equality of Internet access among various social groups in Thailand. 2) Analyze the Internet's role in regard to the development of Thai democracy. Here, we focus on the Internet's impact upon political participation among Thai citizens – both the general public and the policy-makers. Our study employs both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies to answer these research questions.