THE PATRONAGE RELATION BETWEEN LOCAL POLITTICIANS AND MONKS IN THE AREA OF MUANG KHON KAEN DISTRICT, KHON KAEN PROVINCE

Abstract

The purposes of this research were: 1) To study the characteristics of patronage
relationship between local politicians and monks in Mueang Khon Kaen District,
Khon Kaen Province and 2) To study the effects of patronage relationship between local
politicians and monks in Mueang Khon Kaen District, Khon Kaen Province. This study is
qualitative research. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 18 respondents
using a purposive sampling. The research used a semi-structured interview and
descriptive data analysis.
The results showed that: 1. The characteristics of patronage relationship between
local politicians and monks in Mueang Khon Kaen District, Khon Kaen Province had 2
characteristics as follows: 1) Reciprocality is a kind of that relationship. The politicians
patronize monks in the form of donating money, giving material objects, and hosting
philanthropic activities. Monks will reward politicians by convincing people to choose the
politicians they support. 2) The exchange and ad hoc benefits is a temporary relationship
that the two parties jointly create only for a short time to exchange for benefits through
religious merit-making activities, national important day activities, and local projects.
2.The effects caused by the patronage relationship between local politicians and monks
in Mueang Khon Kaen District, Khon Kaen Province are as follows. 1) The positive effect
on monks is that monks have more channels to contact for help from their patrons.
Temples and communities receive budget support. 2) The positive effect on politicians
is that they gain more political popularity. 3) The negative effect on monks is that monks
are not politically neutral, resulting in people who disagree with monks, and have less
faith in monks. 4) The negative effect on the politicians is that it makes people who are
faithful to unsupported monks dislike the politicians, resulting in a decrease of their
political popularity.