MILITARY POLITICS IN THAILAND AND INDONESIA: A COMPARATIVE STUDY COURSE IN THAI GOVERNMENT

This project consists of a specially designed course for Thai college students in the major field of comparative government. In brief, the goal of the project is to provide the undergraduate students with an innovative courses offering, one which deals more practically with the political role of the military in Thailand and Indonesia.;The project consists of three main chapters. The introduction part includes the statement of philosophy and the armed forces as the object of investigation. The overview of course in the second chapter consists of the general goals and objectives, description of course, organization of course and instructional strategies. The third chapter--course plan--is composed of fifteen lessons. The course encompasses the salient topics which comprise the scope of the military politics in the two countries. It focuses on the areas of historical development of the armed forces, the role expansion, civil-military relations, organization and disposition, role perception, the uses made of these forces, and the cultural, social and bureaucratic considerations affecting its use. These topics are discussed from both theoretical and empirical considerations. The project also employs a variety of instructional techniques including an inquiry learning, discussion and debate, panel discussion, and role playing.;Finally, by reviewing the studies and analyses, the project proposes four fundamental comparative issues to be considered in the subject of military politics of the two countries.;The overall objective of the course is to examine comparatively the relationships between the military and the civilian authorities in the vortex of social and political changes of the two countries. It focuses around major significant problems concerning the process of political change and the role the military plays with regard to it.