The Politics of Thai Farmers’ Ways of Life: Power Negotiation in Contemporary Society.

Abstract

This academic article aims to examine the transformation of Thai farmers within the context of contemporary society influenced by globalization and the capitalist economic system, which has permeated every dimension of farmers’ lives—from the individual and family levels to the community level. The objective is to understand the mechanisms of power negotiation employed by farmers through their behaviors, practices, and everyday ways of life, both in concrete and abstract forms. The analytical framework applied in this study includes the concept of “Weapons of the Weak” proposed by James C. Scott. This concept explains that individuals in subordinate positions do not completely submit to power structures; instead, they employ subtle and indirect forms of resistance, such as bending rules, deliberate slowness, complaining or gossiping, and producing counter-discourses in order to preserve their space and interests in society. In addition, the study adopts the concept of the “Post-Peasant Society” proposed by Somchai Phatharathananun, which suggests that the identity of being a “peasant” is no longer fixed as it was in the past. Instead, it has become increasingly diverse in terms of occupation, identity, and social roles. Many contemporary farmers perform multiple roles, such as agricultural producers, urban laborers, and local entrepreneurs, while also building new social networks to negotiate with state and market power structures.
The article argues that Thai farmers in the present context should not be viewed merely as passive victims of economic and political systems. Rather, they should be recognized as “social actors” who possess agency, adaptability, and proactive roles in responding to, negotiating with, and even transforming power structures at various levels through their economic, social, and cultural ways of life. This includes the creation of new identities, the use of cultural capital to construct legitimacy, and symbolic movements within public media. Therefore, the way of life of farmers in contemporary society can be understood as a form of “lifestyle politics” embedded in everyday practices amid ongoing transformations in social, economic, and cultural structures at both local and global levels.