A Systems Perspective on Forest Governance Failure in Thailand

Abstract

This paper’s purpose is to diagnose Thailand’s
governance system for forests which helps to identify the
potential interventions for making the system more effective.
The paper combines an extensive review of formal and informal
literature with information from interviews conducted with key
forestry stakeholders in Thailand. This is reflective of the
‘engaged’ philosophy underpinning this research, in contrast to a
research approach in which the expert (drawing on
documentation or a limited set of stakeholders) is the voice that
defines and analyses the problem.
This paper considers examples of forest governance
arrangements from various countries facing comparable
challenges to Thailand as well as legal doctrine, popular media
and formal literature. This purposeful synthesis seeks to
comprehensively understand the system under examination.