Research on the Role of New Media in Thailand's Democratic Politics

Abstract

With the rapid development of emerging technologies such as the Internet, new media in Thailand have started to develop fast. In terms of freedom of opinion, new media have a higher degree of freedom compared to traditional media. In Thai democracy, the new media is a "double-edged sword" with both positive and negative effects. It is a booster for political parties' election campaigns, a medium for Thai people to express their political views and communicate with the government, an important propaganda and mobilization platform for political campaigns, and a tool for foreign forces to interfere in Thailand's internal affairs. The duality of new media brings new opportunities and great challenges to Thai democracy. In the future, new media can both increase people's motivation to participate in politics and achieve two-way interaction between the government and the people. However, some of Thailand's new media have deviated from the track of democratic political development and have become political weapons for political parties to fight with each other. Some of the new media will also be influenced by Western forces and Western ideology, making Thailand's democracy appear alienated.