| The purpose of this study is to examine higher-education development in Thailand, with an emphasis on the relationships between the government agencies involved in the governance system of Thai higher education at the national level. Because the Thai higher-education system is operated under the bureaucracy, it might suffer the same sorts of bureaucratic deficiencies. Thus, this study analyzes the Thai governance system of higher education in the context of Thai bureaucratic structure and policy process.;This study presents the historical and administrative backgrounds of the Thai higher education system and the Thai governance system, and discusses the ways in which the systems are inter-related. The study employs systems theory and institutionalism to illustrate the relationships between the subsystems inherent in the societal environment. Through the in-depth exploration of the National Development Plans, the nature of Thailand's fragmented policy-making system will be clear. The study analyzes the group dynamics of major actors involved in the policy-making process in formulating the National Development Plans and the ways in which traditional bureaucracy influences the process.;In the course of examining these factors, several government agencies are discussed with their roles, structures, and functions. The analysis of the National Development Plans focuses on the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Plans, which collectively cover the period of 1982 to 2001. Data is derived primarily from interviews with government officials in the concerned government agencies for the purpose of illustrating the relationships between the agencies involved in policy planning with respect to higher education.;This study provides a more complete understanding of the interconnected nature of Thai government agencies and the Thai higher-education system, including the changes from the advent of Thai universities to the present. Finally, all ten research questions are answered and three main themes of the study are discussed. The implications of the research and recommendations for future study are provided. |
