Public Administration

เอกสารการสัมมนาวิชาการ
ในวาระครบรอบ 50 ป คณะรัฐประศาสนศาสตร

บนเสนทางพลังปญญาสูการบริหารการพัฒนาประเทศ

หัวขอเรื่อง

Five Decades of Public Administration in
Thailand

โดย
รศ.ดร.พิทยา บวรวัฒนา

วันที่ 9 กรกฎาคม 2548 เวลา 13.15-16.15 น.
ณ หอง 1009, หอง 913 และหองประชุมศูนยเทคโนโลยี ชั้น 5
ณ อาคารอเนกประสงค สถาบันบัณฑิตพัฒนบริหารศาสตร

1

Five Decades of Public Administration in Thailand
Associate Professor Bidhya Bowornwathana, Ph.D.*

Paper prepared for presentation at a seminar to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the
School of Public Administration, NIDA, Anekprasong Building, 10th floor, Room 902, July
9th, 2005, 13.15-6.15 pm. Bangkok, Thailand.

Abstract
After five decades of the study of public administration in Thailand, four models of explanation of the Thai bureaucracy and public sector have emerged: the personnel administration model; the bureaucratic development model, the bureaucratic polity model, and the good governance model. The author compares and analyzes these models of explanation by considering their origins, frameworks and assumptions.
Some ideas about what needs to be done for the future development of public administration in Thailand are given at the end.
Introduction: The Background
In Thailand, the study of public administration at the university level can be traced back much earlier to the establishment of Chulalongkorn University in March 26,
1916 when the faculty of Public Administration was one of the four foundation faculties of the university (Meechart and Bowornwathana, 1986). However, the study of modern western public administration began about five decades ago. His
Majesty the King of Thailand and the Rockefeller Foundation supported the idea of institutionalizing public administration education in Thailand. Fifty years ago, in
September 1955, the Thai Government established the Thai Institute of Public
Administration (TIPA) at Thammasat University. A decade later, on

References: Bowornwathana, Bidhya (1978). “Seeing Public Aministrationists Through A Mirror.” Journal of Social Sciences, 15/4 (October-December), 140-145 Bowornwathana, Bidhya (1981). “Paradigms in the Field of Public Administration in Thailand: A Critical Analysis of the Writings by Thai Scholars” Thai Journal of Development Administration, 21/4 (October), 1-24. (In Thai) Bowornwathana, Bidhya (1983a) Contemporary Thai Scholars. Bangkok: Chulalongkorn University Press. (In Thai) Bowornwathana, Bidhya (1986) Bowornwathana, Bidhya (1997a). “Transforming Bureaucracies for the 21st Century: The New Democratic Governance Paradigm.” Public Administration Quarterly, Vol. Bowornwathana, Bidhya (1997b). “The Governance of the Bangkok Metropolitan: The Old System, the New City, and Future Governance.” In J Bowornwathana, Bidhya (2000). “Governance Reform in Thailand: Questionable Assumptions, Uncertain Outcomes.” Governance, July, Vol Bowornwathana, Bidhya (2001a). “The Politics of Governance Reform in Thailand.” In Ali Farazmand, ed., Handbook of Comparative and Development Public Bowornwathana, Bidhya (2001b). “Thailand: Bureaucracy Under Coalition Governments.” In John P Bowornwathana, Bidhya (2004). “Thaksin’s Model of Government Reform: Prime Ministerialisation Through “A Country Is My Company Approach.” Asian Journal of 11 Bowornwathana, Bidhya (2005a, forthcoming) Bowornwathana, Bidhya (2005b, forthcoming). “Autonomisation of the Thai State.” Public Administration and Development, Vol Neher, Clark, and Bidhya Bowornwathana (1986). “Thai and Western Studies of Politics in Thailand.” Asian Thought and Society, March, Vol Wanchai, Meechart, and Bidhya Bowornwathana, (1986). “The Origin of the Department of Public Administration.” Bangkok: Chulalongkorn University Printing