Within the contemporary political context of 'Thai power', this dissertation explores how an Internet forum can be used as a tool for civic empowerment and democratisation, because such digital platforms, where users can connect and share news, appear to be rather neglected in academic research literature. Thailand.s Pantip.com is the case study in the project. The three dimensions of investigation include the content in conversation threads, the content creators, and the impacts of content on Thai news media. The methodologies used are: discourse analysis, focus groups, and interviews. The main findings indicate that Pantip.com is a virtual place that is exceptional in Thai society. Indeed, it could be called the Thai agonistic public space for the expression of different views and voices, with active intellectual work that supports a social movement and alternative media content. In regard to news production, the dynamic relation between Pantip.com users and Thai professional journalists initiates a vigorous news ecology. Hence, this study makes several noteworthy contributions to a better understanding of Thai online participation. First, Pantip.com is used as a tool for the democratic reform of the Thai media themselves. Second, the intense regulation of participation in the fora is beneficial, since it enhances the content quality and the standard of discussion in the threads. Third, Pantip.com and the Thai news media create a virtuous circle of influence while, at the same time, providing a counterbalancing action for one another.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:703399 |
| Date | January 2015 |
| Creators | Thisaphak, Phithaksak |
| Publisher | SOAS, University of London |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://eprints.soas.ac.uk/23589/ |
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