Information dissemination has become a public relations tool for certain groups as opposed to an effective means of raising public awareness and communication between the State and the public. Lack of Enforcement Natural resource management laws in Thailand have existed for over a century. Most of the early laws were aimed at governing the resource use rather than conservation. The first environmental protection legislation was promulgated in 1975, long before most other Asian countries. For instance, at least 30 laws govern water resource management.
Most Thai laws are ineffective in the management of natural resources for two main reasons.
First, they assign substantial powers to the executives by allowing the issuance of Ministerial Regulations, Notifications and Announcements. In this context, it is not surprising that influential local business people usually forge strong ties with politicians to use the latter s bureaucratic powers to nurture their own selfish interests without regard to the impact on the public good and the environment. Second, overlapping legislation may sometimes prevent an authority from enforcing a given law for the fear of offending or overstepping the jurisdiction of another agency and causing conflict. Thailand s new constitution gives more opportunities and power to the general public to scrutinize politicians and the government. When the public role becomes strong, it may be possible to counter and check the misuse of power.