BUDDHADHAMMA INTEGRATION FOR PROMOTING PEOPLE'S POLITICAL PARTICIPATION IN SURAT THANI PROVINCE

Abstract

Objectives of this research article were: 1. To study the political participation of citizens, 2. To examine the factors influencing such participation, and 3. To propose the Buddhadhamma integration for enhancing political engagement among the people in Surat Thani Province, conducted by the mixed research methods, both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. For the qualitative part, in-depth interview was conducted with 18 key informants, purposefully selected along with a focus group discussion with 9 participants to validate the findings. For the quantitative research, data were collected by questionnaires from 400 samples who were eligible voters in Surat Thani Province, derived from the total population of 830,182 people, using Taro Yamane’s formula. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and stepwise multiple regression.

The findings revealed that 1. Citizens in Surat Thani demonstrated a strong political awareness, shaped by early socialization through families, educational institutions, and religious organizations. They valued the right to vote, opened dialogue, and equal participation in accordance with Buddhist principles, which contributed to reducing patronage systems and fostering sustainable local democracy. 2. The most influential factor in promoting political participation was political socialization, with peer groups and communities having the strongest impact at 69.50 percent, followed by family, media, and religion. Among Aparihaniyadhamma, the most significant influences were respect for elders’ opinions, collective participation in meetings, and support for virtuous individuals, accounting for 66.4 percent. These findings highlighted the importance of social networks and ethical principles in advancing grassroots democracy. 3. The integration of the Aparihaniyadhamma strengthened trust, unity, civic responsibility, and confidence in a political system, free from patronage, ultimately encouraging more meaningful and ethical political engagement.