Bangkok – Dr. Thawilwadee Bureekul, former director of the Research and Development Office of Kings Research Institute of Prajadhipok, revealed that the joint regional study and survey pointed out that Thailand has the highest proportion of citizens who believe that the unfair income distribution in the country is unjust, including all Asian countries studied.
“This perception has greatly undermined public trust in the government, which has reached historic lows,” she said, adding that confidence in the country’s leadership is now lower than ever.
Dr. Thawilwadee added that despite the increased political awareness among Thai citizens, their sense of political effectiveness (the belief that they can influence government decisions) has declined significantly.
Survey data collected over the past 20 years show that trust in key political institutions, including the Prime Minister, is most notably the key political institutions in the Senate.
The IPSA 2025 Congress, held from July 12 to 16, is themed on the theme of political scientists and scholars convened by more than 100 countries to resist the authoritarianization of a polarized society.
Discussions focus on global tendencies at both ends of the political sphere and the global rise of democracy eroded, as well as the fantasies of leaders from above and citizens who have been disillusioned from below and external forces.
Even countries that previously had a stable democratic framework, such as regular elections, are now struggling to cope with the global spread of authoritarian politics. The meeting heard that in many societies, political and ideological divisions are deepening, with the polarization of the country’s vision and social goals.
“In many countries, the opposition no longer sees each other as fellow citizens, but rather a threat to exist,” Dr. Taverwadi said.
“This extreme division, evident among the elite and the public, is now a global North and South character, with profound implications for democracy and the international order.”
Elected leaders in several democracies began to undermine established norms, reduce the rights and civil liberties of several groups and reshape political platforms to suit their agendas.
Meanwhile, public support for democracy is declining, as many believe that the democratic system no longer fulfills its commitments in terms of economic security, political participation or social justice.
In this case, the growing sense of frustration and disillusionment, in some countries, fear has inspired support for authoritarian leaders and their policies. The surge is often enlarged by digital platforms, with allegations of repression of voters, misinformation, post-truth politics, and political exploitation of global crises such as war, immigration and climate change.
The new regional security framework also played a role, allowing leaders who tend to be authoritarian to capitalize on their dissatisfaction with democracy. These leaders often invoke national security, austerity policies, participatory governance mechanisms or controlled immigration policies to justify restrictions on civil liberties and democratic norms.
Nevertheless, Dr. Thawilwadee noted that some countries have managed to resist the authoritarian trend through timely interventions. Strong opposition, independent judiciary and a strong civil society have proved crucial to upholding democratic values.
She further stressed that resilient democracies could actively support others in the region by fighting back authoritarian trends through international cooperation. Strengthening partnerships between democratic countries and institutions can help maintain and revitalize democratic institutions, thereby mitigating the destructive effects of authoritarian regimes.
“This year’s IPSA Congress aims to attract the attention of the global political science community to resist the urgent challenges of authoritarianism in highly polarized societies,” she said.
“We call for recommendations and constructive exchanges to explore the complex interactions between authoritarianism and related issues such as human rights, freedoms, inequality, political institutions, public policy, civil society, immigration, climate politics, international treaties and multilateral cooperation.”
It is worth noting that the 2025 Congress introduced thousands of academic papers, with women accounting for nearly half of the participants.
