Phichai Rattanatilaka Na BhuketNoppajakkr Sondhinera2024-05-152024-05-152021b214320https://repository.nida.ac.th/handle/662723737/6862Thesis (Ph.D. (Social Development Administration))--National Institute of Development Administration, 2021The purpose of the research is to study the discourse of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee leader, Suthep Thuagsuban’s public speaking from 2013- 2014 by using critical discourse analysis. 94 videos are selectively collected according to the triangulation technique for the document data. Research findings show numerous discourses been used during the six-month-long protest; each is developed specifically for the cause. To see the development of discourses and surrounding contexts, researcher divided the duration of protest to 3 periods; the initiative period, the peak period, and the maintain period. First, the initiative period was the boosted start of the anti- graft amnesty bill protest which took place from October to the end of November 2013. It was positive that political purpose of the anti-graft amnesty bill protest was changed once it became the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) which was to eradicate Thaksin Shinawatra and his influence over Thai politics. Thus, the major discourse found in this period was “Thaksin Regime. ” Discourse of Thaksin Regime had constructed social reality about the corrupted system in the contemporary Thai politics, including corruption, bureaucratic system abuse. Surrounding context was the conflict of the corruption cases by Thaksin Shinawatra and his sister Yingluck Shinawatra’ s government which was a sequence of political corruptions. And Yingluck Shinawatra tried to make legitimacy laundry for her brother by passing the graft amnesty bill and another general election. Another discourse was called “ allegiance to Thai Monarch” which helped identifying the PDRC movement as a protest of the good people of Thailand. Allegiance to Thai Monarch also gave the protest the moral support and a mutual purpose of devotion. Second, the peak period was happened after the PDRC grew in number, over million people had joined the protest. With its strategic movement, Bangkok Shutdown ( divided to 13 rally sites), being platform for rice farmer protest and other political events, PDRC had successfully made a hard time for Yingluck Shinawatra’ s Administration. Once, PDRC gained much political pressure, it became a target from the government and government’ s supporting crowd, the Red- Shirt. Suthep Thuagsuban as the PDRC leader was being defamed in attempt to dismiss the protest. This surrounding context made discourse of “Uncle Headman” emerged to construct body-image of a good leader. It was consisted of a story of Suthep Thuagsuban since he was a Headman from Surat Thani whose dream was to be people’s representative, until he had become one of the most powerful political figures of Thai politics. Yet, he willingly gave up his title to lead the protest of PDRC, so the prominent politician became a people’s uncle headman, and the medium (host body of the collective mind), and the holy monk who kept his ordain to preserve the good and righteousness of the protest. Apart from Uncle Headman, there was a discourse of “ peaceful protest” because the surrounding context was full of violence done onto the PDRC by the government’s extremist supporters. Lastly, the maintain period which was marked when all PDRC rally sites had retreated to its last precinct, Lumpini Park for security and changes in its movement. By limiting its activities and sites, PDRC could pursue its goal of reforms. While Yingluck Shinawatra’s government had been exhausted from countering the protest, many conflicts had been concluded by the courts. It was an opportunity for PDRC to hammer at the government with all its strength. But it was a time for the extremist supporters of Yingluck Shinawatra desperately resorted an absurd idea of dividing the Kingdom. So, in this period there were various discourses, including reform, bureaucratic friends to secure the connection between the protest and the bureaucrats, soldiers, and polices. In this period, the evolving uncle headman and allegiance to Thai Monarch had played their part to strengthen the cause and common purpose of patriotism against an idea of dividing Kingdom.558 leavesapplication/pdfengThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.Discourse analysis -- Social aspectstext::thesis::doctoral thesis10.14457/NIDA.the.2021.95