Political Authority and Provincial Identity in Thailand: The Making of Banharn-buri 9781501732553

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Political Authority and Provincial Identity in Thailand

Cornell University

Yoshinori N ishizaki

Political Authority and Provincial Identity in Thailand The Making of Banharn-buri

SOUTHEAST ASIA PROGRAM PUBLICATIONS

Southeast Asia Program Cornell University Ithaca, New York 2011

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Editorial Board Benedict R. O'G. Anderson Anne Blackburn Thak Chaloemtiarana Tamara Loos Keith Taylor Marina Welker Andrew C. Willford Cornell Southeast Asia Program Publications 640 Stewart Avenue, Ithaca, NY 14850-3857 Studies on Southeast Asia No. 53 © 2011 Cornell Southeast Asia Program

All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, no part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Cornell Southeast Asia Program. Printed in the United States of America ISBN: he 978-087727-783-5 ISBN: pb 978-087727-753-8 Cover: designed by Kat Dalton; photograph by Yoshinori Nishizaki Index: compiled by Paula Douglass

TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables, Figures, and Maps

vii

List of Respondents

ix

Acknowledgments

XV

Map of Thailand Preface Chapter 1, Rethinking Domination in the Thai Countryside The Dominant Plot in Rural Thai Politics Toward Another Plot Chapter Overview and Sources

xviii 1 7 10

19 29

Chapter 2, Recalling and Representing the Backward Past From (Putative) Glory to Backwardness Taking the "Developmental" State to Task Belittling Suphanburi: Negative Provincial Identity Prelude to Banharn' s Emergence

33 33 42

Chapter 3, The Rise of a Local Hero Striking it Rich in Bangkok Donation after Donation Restoring Suphanburi's Honor and Glory Tide of Popular Support Coming to Power

57

Chapter 4, Influx of State Development Funds Institutional Setting: The Patrimonial-Democratic State Road Construction School Construction Endorsing the Parochial Provincialist

85 86 88

Chapter 5, Local Bureaucrats Disciplined Surveillance over Development Projects The Habitual Compliance of Civil Servants Support for the Fussy Manager

51 55 58

62 71

75 79

101 108 115 117

126 129

v1

Political Authority and Provincial Identity in Thailand

Chapter 6, Imagining Banharn-buri at the Grassroots Level Signboards Ceremonies The Image of Banharn-buri

139 140 148 163

Chapter 7, Pride in Imagined Banharn-buri Non~Suphanburians' Admiration and Envy Praising Suphanburi's (Putative) Superiority Development Is in the Eye of the Beholder

165 166 170 177

Chapter 8, Defending the "Bad" Politician Is Banham Corrupt? Has Banharn Failed to Industrialize Suphanburi and Address Poverty? Feeble Political Opposition The Future ofBanharn-buri: Withering Away?

181 181 187 193 199

Chapter 9, Banharn in Theoretical and Comparative Perspectives Taking Collective Pride Seriously Comparative Cases Concluding Thoughts: "Ignorant Rural Thais" Revisited

205 205 213 231

Select Bibliography

237

Index

247

LIST OF TABLES, FIGURES, AND MAPS LIST OFTABLES

3.1 3.2 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 6.1 6.2 8.1

Ceremonies to Commemorate Banharn's Donations to Schools 1969-77 Chronology of Banharn's Contributions to Local Development, 1966-77 Party Affiliations of Suphanburi's MPs, 1976-2001 Highway Construction Projects for Suphanburi, FY 1966-1980 A Comparison of the Length of Highways, 2001 A Comparison of the Quality of Highways, 2001 The Length of Asphalt/ Concrete Feeder Roads, 2002 Number and Density of "Banharn Signboards," by District, 2004 Number of Development Ceremonies held by Banharn, 1966-2002 Votes for Banharn, 1976-2007

67 76 88 92 96 99 100 145 150 197

LIST OF FIGURES AND MAPS

Unless otherwise indicated in the text, all photographs are by the author. Map of Thailand, showing Suphanburi 1.1 Map of Suphanburi and its Districts 1.2 Causal mechanism of Banharn's domination 2.1 Per capita Construction Funds Allocated by Ministry of Education, 1961-72 2.2 Road Networks in Suphanburi and Neighboring Provinces, 1967 2.3 Villagers building a road 2.4 Villagers digging an irrigation ditch in Muang District 3.1 A newly built hospital ward named after Banharn 3.2 Banharn and Jaemsai making a donation to the royal couple 3.3 Mon tribe schoolchildren at Pratheep School 3.4 A pro-Banharn rally, 1976 4.1 A highway under construction 4.2 Highway Construction Funds for Suphanburi, FY 1981-2000 4.3 A Comparison of Highway Construction Funds, FY 1985-1997 4.4 Map of Highways in Suphanburi, 1968 4.5 Map of Highways in Suphanburi, 1975 4.6 Map of Highways in Suphanburi, 2002 4.7 Lamp poles along a highway 4.8 School Construction Funds for Suphanburi, 1989-2002

xviii 8 25 37 38 45 46 64 69 71 82 91 93 94 97 97 98 101 102

viii

4.9 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.9 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 6.16 6.17

Political Authority and Provincial Identity in Thailand Provincial Population and School Construction Funds, FY 1995-2001 Banharn inspecting temple renovation Banharn picking up rubbish on the road Banharn chairing a meeting with civil servants Banharn giving an order to a civil servant A signboard thanking Banharn for a road construction fund The "Silpa-archa Building" at Wat Phiham Daeng Primary School A signboard at Wat Phiham Daeng Primary School Geographical Distribution of "Banharn Signboards" in Suphanburi Geographical Distribution of "Banharn Signboards" in Muang Municipality Subdistricts where Banharn held development ceremonies before 1976 Subdistricts where Banharn held development ceremonies by 1988 Subdistricts where Banharn held development ceremonies by 2003 Program for an Opening Ceremony Signboard announcing Banharn' s visit A newly constructed school building Villagers form long lines to welcome Banharn Banharn receives flowers from villagers Banharn officially opens a new building An unveiled school signboard Monks chant a pali verse Villagers listen and pray

103 120 121 123 127 141 144 144 146 147 151 152 152 154 156 156 157 158 159 159 160 160

LIST OF RESPONDENTS • The number that appears in a bracket after each respondent in the text, e.g., (#1), corresponds to the number in the first column below. • "Age group" and "Occupation" were applicable at the time of interviews. • "Place of residence" refers to the district where each respondent resided in Suphanburi at the time of the interview. In the cases of respondents who lived outside Suphanburi, the names of provinces where they were born and resided are indicated (marked with*). • Bangkok-based civil servants are not included on the list. Also excluded are the people who requested absolute confidentiality. Interview dates for these people are given in the text.

# 1 2 3 4 5 6

8 9

10 11

12

13 14 15

Date of nterview(s)

Sex

15-19

M

student

Muang

Oct99

15-19

M

student

Phayao *

Feb 07

20-29

M

janitor

Muang

Nov99

Univ from farmer's family

20-29

F

college student

SamChuk

Feb 00, AprOO

from farmer's family, friend of #14

Occupation

Remark son of #34

--------- ------ ------------------ --------------- ------------- s-tudies a-t- cl1far1i£M:ar-----

--------- ------ ------------------ --------------- ------------- ------------------------------------- ------ ------------------ --------------- ------------- ------------------------------------- ------ ------------------ --------------- ------------- ----------------------------U-Thong Oct 99 20-29 M barber ----------- --- ------------------ --------------- ------------MarOO F 20-29 housemaid Muang ------ -----------------------------20-29 F photocopier Jul99 }'J()~g_------- --------------------- ------ -----------------restaurant Bang Pla Feb 02 20-29 M waiter Ma --------- ------ ------------------ --------------- ------------20-29 M college student Muang Feb 02 --------- ------ ------------------ --------------- ------------20-29 F hotel employee U-Thong Apr02 --------- ------ ------------------ --------------- ------------20-29 M unemployed Muang Feb 02 --------- ------ ------------------ --------------- -------------

-song-riir ___

---~-----

7

Place of Residence

Age Group

from farmer's family lllisb-ancf

Is an e"te-dric------

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