DOMESTIC GROUP INFLUENCE ON THAI PARTICIPATION IN THE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH EAST ASIAN NATIONS

This dissertation is concerned with the linkage between domestic politics and international politics and how this linkage affects relations between business groups and government officials in Thailand. It begins with an historical-political analysis of the dynamic relationship between various Thai governments and the predominantly ethnic Chinese business community. A certain continuity in the relationship is discerned despite periods of mutual mistrust and antagonism.; Data were collected for this study during field research in Bangkok, Thailand in 1976. Data on business groups were gathered mainly with the aid of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, the Association of Thai Industries, and the Board of Trade of Thailand. Data on Thai government policies and transactions were collected from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Commerce.; The data are analyzed within the framework of five research questions. The principle themes upon which this study focuses are: (1) the economic and political roles of business interest groups in Thai society and the relevance of their interests to Thai foreign economic policy-making toward ASEAN, (2) the extent of collaboration among these business groups to influence government policy with reference to ASEAN, (3) the nature of government-private sector interaction on ASEAN economic cooperation, particularly the way in which business groups articulate their interests to government officials.; The nature of the government-business community relationship is found to have recently moved into a new phase, and this trend is attributed to three main factors: first, fundamental changes in international and regional politics such as the withdrawal of American military presence in Southeast Asia and communist take-over in Indochina; second, the pressures and stress on domestic politics due partly to the communist victory in Indochina and the influx of Southeast Asian refugees: and third, the creation of ASEAN and Thailand's participation in ASEAN regional cooperation which provides the opportunity for government-business group cooperation.