Strategies of Social Movement Mobilization in Thailand: A Case Study of Youth-Led Movements

Abstract

             The research on the movement strategies of Thai political parties within the parliamentary system and social changes in the digital era reveals that the roles of political parties and social movements are driven by a systematic problem-solving process based on Logical Thinking. This approach focuses on establishing frameworks and clear goals to achieve outcomes under limited resources. A key component is the analysis of the Political Opportunity Structure (POS), which represents the external environment influencing the success of movements. In the Thai context between 2014-2021, the political structure exhibited high unity and stability due to the foundations laid by the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand, B.E. 2560 (2017). Specifically, Section 65 mandates a National Strategy as a goal for sustainable development, serving as a framework for various national plans. Consequently, political parties must function as Pressure Groups to influence or compel changes in state policies for their group’s benefit. Simultaneously, they have adapted their strategies toward political communication in the digital age through New Media concepts. This involves “peer-to-peer” communication that allows citizens to access and disseminate content independently via online networks, such as using hashtags for political mobilization. These tactics align with the Logic of Connective Action, enabling movements to transcend geographical and temporal constraints while fostering a Public Sphere for the free exchange of ideas and criticism on public interests. However, amidst ideological struggles under the principle that sovereign power belongs to the Thai people according to Section 3 of the Constitution, political parties face challenges from political economy mechanisms that attempt to limit public perception within the frameworks defined by the elite. Therefore, the movement strategies of Thai political parties represent a coordination between legal movements within the parliamentary system and the creation of alternative spaces through digital media to establish legitimacy in presenting policies to society.