Retelling the Tale of Two Democracies: How Shifting Urban-Rural Dynamics Shaped Thailand’s 2023 General Election
Napon Jatusripitak, author
Date of publication:
2025
Publisher:
ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute
Number of pages:
36
Code:
TRS2/25
Soft Cover
ISBN: 9789815306293
About the publication
Thailand’s 2023 general election reveals a political landscape undergoing significant transformation, where the traditional Bangkok-versus-countryside political dichotomy has given way to more nuanced urban-rural electoral dynamics unfolding within individual provinces and constituencies.
As urbanization spreads across Thailand, political candidates adapt their campaign strategies to appeal to voters across the urban-rural divide in their constituencies, leveraging the resources and competitive advantages that come with their party affiliation.
Parties with strong ideological stances and popular prime ministerial candidates who took clear positions on political reform performed better in urban constituencies than rural ones. Conversely, parties that specialized in candidate-centred, locally driven campaigns—including vote-canvassing networks—saw greater success in rural constituencies.
A visible trend of ballot splitting emerged in rural constituencies, where voters frequently supported nationally appealing parties like the Move Forward Party (MFP) in the party-list vote but chose local candidates from other parties for constituency seats.
A more urbanized electorate nationwide, combined with rural voters’ strategic distinction between national and local preferences, enabled the MFP to win constituency seats outside major cities and secure strong party-list support across the urban-rural spectrum.
This book is on the press and will be available for purchase from 27 January 2025.
Contents
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Retelling the Tale of Two Democracies: How Shifting Urban-Rural Dynamics Shaped Thailand’s 2023 General Election
[Whole Publication, ISBN: 97898153062309], by Napon Jatusripitak, author
