Publication: Public Deliberation and Health Policy Development in Thailand: A Decade of Participatory Governance
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Issued Date
2025-01-01
Resource Type
ISSN
26793873
eISSN
27066274
DOI
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-105026577828
Journal Title
International Review of Public Policy
Volume
7
Issue
3
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
International Review of Public Policy Vol.7 No.3 (2025)
Suggested Citation
Satidporn W., Thananithichot S. Public Deliberation and Health Policy Development in Thailand: A Decade of Participatory Governance. International Review of Public Policy Vol.7 No.3 (2025). doi:10.4000/15bbq Retrieved from: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14740/55054
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Abstract
This article examines the impact of public deliberation on health policy development in Thailand over the past decade. It highlights how deliberative democratic principles have been operationalized within a middle-income country context. Drawing on qualitative data from document analysis, participant observation, focus groups, and in-depth interviews, the study investigates the institutional roles of the National Health Commission Office (NHCO) and the National Health Security Office (NHSO), which together provide a dual framework for upstream policy deliberation and downstream service governance. The analysis reveals that Thailand’s deliberative infrastructure has contributed to greater inclusivity, improved responsiveness, and enhanced legitimacy in health policymaking. Key enabling factors include representative recruitment practices, culturally and linguistically adaptive engagement methods, iterative deliberative design, and mechanisms that facilitate the translation of public input into policy outcomes. However, the study also identifies ongoing challenges, including resource constraints, bureaucratic resistance, political fragmentation, and digital inequalities. These limitations affect the depth, consistency, and reach of deliberative practices. The article concludes by offering recommendations for institutional strengthening and adaptive design, emphasizing the importance of embedding deliberation within policy cycles to ensure its sustainability. Thailand’s experience offers important lessons for scholars and practitioners of participatory governance in health systems globally.