Thaksaphon Thamarangsi

Citation

Thesis Title
Alcohol Policy Process in Thailand

Mr Thamarangsi’s research focused on the alcohol policy-making process in Thailand from 1997 to 2006. The main objective of his research was to investigate the characteristics of Thailand’s alcohol policy process and to identify potential areas for improvement. Mr Thamarangsi used several public policy models to analyse three public policy components, namely policy development, policy stakeholders and their roles in the process, and the context of Thailand’s alcohol policy. He found that Thailand’s alcohol policy during the period under investigation became more comprehensive, more transparent for stakeholders and more oriented to public health. He also found that Thailand’s alcohol policy formulation was characterised by incremental change, a lack of implementation and evaluation, and limitations in technical knowledge. Finally, Mr Thamarangsi found that the Thai cultural context had a crucial impact on the alcohol policy process; cultural features which were not explicitly covered in the Western policy models utilised in the research included cronyism, relationships, representation, commitment, negligence, and compromise.

Supervisors
Professor Sally Casswell
Professor Timothy McCreanor