1st National and International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences

October 31, 2014, KU Home, Bangkok, THAILAND

Thai Political Discourse Influenced the Code of Ethical Integrity

Dr.Karunan Rattanasanwong*

Abstract
This article is intended to focus on Thai Political Discourse in its broadest sense on the use of
language and direct influenced the code of ethical integrity. As the politicians are public individuals who
are facing answering the public questions about correctness and legitimacy at almost all times. Thus the
languages used by those politicians must be elaborately prepared not only rational or beneficial
explanation but also congruence with code of ethical integrity. Languages are communicating itself as a
very helpful tool for public relations and conceptual reflection, how human beings understand their
world, also influenced of concepts on affecting human behaviors.
Key Word: Code of Ethical Integrity, Discourse, Ethics, Integrity, Politician

Introduction
Language was communicative tools in which they reflected an idea and influencing human
behavior. The dynamics of language for human beings were the most significant variable in creative or
destructive roles in language usage. On the one hand, in term of creation, the language is the beautiful
medium by which we can think about and describe our understandings of reality, and on the other hand,
in term of destruction, human created disaster of language. Communication among human beings is quite
often failed to understand especially among politicians whose behaviors towards societal members. Both
societal positive and negative feedback, the politician spoken and written discourse must be recognized
and used properly. Political discourse is the informal exchange of reasoned views as to which of several
alternative courses of action should be taken to solve a societal problem (Johnson and Roger, 2000:291197), however, an elaborately chosen of language for precision, relevance and congruent with ethics and
integrity in order to reduce the improper domination of power and eventually be acceptable to all parties
than current status quo.

Assistant Professor, Graduate College of Management, Sripatum University; E-mail: karunan.ra@spu.ac.th

1st National and International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences

October 31, 2014, KU Home, Bangkok, THAILAND

Politician Discourse Problems

It was noticeable that lack of formality in the present political discourse in broadest sense of
language usage never really responded to code of ethics and integrity. In spite of unable to find the
better language usage, the politicians still try to reveal their negative concept through the public media,
resulted in the decline of politician ethics and integrity. Politicians played major roles in democratic
administration, thus political discourse not only affect politicians themselves but also widespread
damaged through 1) politics, overstepped administration led to political instability and unacceptable,
affect Administrative Organization of the State, 2) economy, self-interest and non-directional
development to achieve common goals, and 3) security, increasing of societal violence, corruption,
slothfulness, extravagance, led to suffering of social decline.
In the other words, discourse should be attended for protection and deterrence of contingent
problems.

Literature Review on Discourse

The literature reviewed focused on language usage and behavioral expression hidden behind as
Michel Foucault theory Besides focusing on the meaning of a given discourse, the distinguished
characteristics of this approach is its stress on power relationships. These are expressed through language
and behavior, and the relationship between language and power. The method analyzes how the social
world, expressed through language, is affected by various sources of power. As such, this approach is
close to social constructivism, as the researcher tries to understand how our society is being shaped (or
constructed) by language, which in turn reflects existing power relationships; Jrgen Habermass
Discourse Theory moral discourse rested primarily on need interpretations, empirical-theoretical
discourse on empirical inductions and Kohlberg's two moral stages. One is that it does not take into
account emotions which may be critical motivators for our actions but concentrates on moral reasoning.
People of different temperaments may respond differently even if at the same moral stage.

Language and Ethical Reflection

Used language is at heart of communication, thus, language must be raised the bar on significant
level, whenever communicate, politicians are inevitable that play a major role in using language in social
communication especially for public problem solving and at the global stage, in which they should be
positive role models of international relationship enhancing.
A political discourse contains some features that must be constant in them to be recognized and
understood by both speakers and audience and at the same time, must fulfill the purpose of transmitting

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1st National and International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences

October 31, 2014, KU Home, Bangkok, THAILAND
the message aimed in that venue with a personal and original style regarding the vocabulary, words,
voice, sentences, and statements used related to global ethical standards.

How Thai Politicians Deliver Discourses

There were many research papers suggested about Thai Politicians Delivered Discourses, in this
context, focused on using of language in variety forms:
1. Saved face answering the questions: avoid answering, irrelevant answering, refuse answering
leading questions, conceal the fact that they had insufficient data information, threatened to someone
face or ask a question in return.
2. The communication using sarcastic comments in political debate, Thai politicians often
implement speaking tactics in 7 features: the refusal using conflicted, conditional, argumentative words,
argumentative context, argumentative implication, complex argument, and protective phrases.
3. Answering questions, during discourse with a media professional, regardless of the reason for
meeting the press, practice and thinking of questions ahead of time is important. Thai politicians,
however, concealed tactics to answer questions that infringed on 4 Cooperative Principles in Conversation
which are: Give the most helpful amount of information, do not say what you believe to be false, be
relevant, and put what you say in the clearest, briefest, and most orderly manner.
4. Female politicians use of language, mostly prefer answering accusations directly to imply
discourse tactics. The first group delivered female discourse on victimization to discredit the prosecutor
while the second focused on the key points to relieve the severity of accusation. The female tactics
which almost totally unfounded in male discourse were positive or creative tactics like tender words that
expressed the tenderness of appreciation. Both of discourse delivery means made variety of political
activities and sometimes resulted in conflicts among themselves led to inefficiency in organizational
image as a whole.
5. The Influence of communication on political activities has been witness to the anti
government rhetoric. Exemplification, comparison, giving evidence, statistical inference, description, and
detailed information. Nevertheless, government rhetoric, implement the same tactics but added some of
amplification of jargons, slang, meaningful phrases. According to Obeng (1997) The indirectness may also
be motivated by politeness. This obliqueness in communication may be expressed through evasion,
circumlocution, innuendoes, metaphors, etc. Language as well as varying social conventions of the
relevant culture as well as differing degree of personal danger inherent in the sociopolitical situation in
which politicians operate may also affect the degree of indirectness as well as the kind(s) of obliqueness
employed. Then led to the review effects of using of language in such manner and how to resolve.

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1st National and International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences

October 31, 2014, KU Home, Bangkok, THAILAND

How Lack of Ethical Integrity Politicians affect the Nation

The politicians both in local and national level, still lack of responsibility and failed to respond to
all the public needs. In other words, they failed to get along with political definition Politics referred to
the limited resources allocation process for the societal members fairly and equally The reasons
obviously seen were corruption conducted by unethical politicians under popularity and social culture in
which deeply caused from political discourse. These effects were not only impact self inefficiency but
also affect national growth in significant level as follows:
Political and Administrative Impact: Led to political illegitimacy and totally unacceptable in
society, officers lack of working morale due to political inefficiency and instability, which may cause coup
detat eventually. Lack of acceptability from people sectors may lead to disordered and inefficiency in
administrative organization of state, unachievable political development, government mechanisms
causing lost in societal fairness led to democratic development failure.
Economic Impact: caused directionless development and failed to achieve common goals as
constrained by politicians interests and satisfaction, higher productive costs, lack of confidence in
investment, loss of economic turnover, and unfair income distribution.
Security Impact: The impact of unethical and immoral politicians knocked off the national
security as it led to declining of current Thai society to the societal crisis and directly affect the human
and societal development in the future.

Suggestions for Spoken Discourses in Enhancing Code of Ethics and Integrity

As a social reflection gives rise to Thai political discourse article, need to give some suggestions to
those who perform the duties of national messengers, to recognize how to use the purposeful
combination of experience and information that produces the most effective discourse.
The deliberation of choosing the relevant verbal language, speaking or writing discourse
congruent with ethics and integrity in the suitable theme standards, reduction of private interest or power
to predominate over the public, to conform to the implemented public policy in the past decades till the
individual development focused in the presence. Thai government has to work at and take threats of
those elected politicians seriously in order to achieve common goals in terms of ethics and integrity. Thai
politician may, eventually, play rather the accepted major roles in global community than the current
status quo.

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1st National and International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences

October 31, 2014, KU Home, Bangkok, THAILAND

Conclusion
Both self and national impacts in all aspects mentioned above, the politicians have to act in
ethics and integrity standards, speaking or writing discourse properly especially in using of language, giving
details and summary based on reality by putting more effort impartially without bias. In the light of
witness, language in the sense of power concerned is the key mechanism of access to, and retention of
power. The refusal of implication between language and politicians are eventually implausible. Hopefully,
this article will encourage and remind all politicians what they should behave under closely monitored by
people sectors.

References
Foucault, M. 1995. Discipline and Punish. New York: Vintage.
Habermas, J. 1991. Moral Consciousness and Communicative Action. Cambridge: MIT Press.
Johnson, D. & Johnson, R. 2000. Civil Political Discourse in a Democracy: The Contribution of
Psychology. Journal of Peace Psychology 6 (4): 291-317.
Kohlberg, L. 1976. Moral Stages and Moralization: The Cognitive Development Approach. In T. Liekone
(ed.). Moral Development and Behavior: Theory, Research, and Social Issues. New York: Holt,
Rinehart and Winston.
Obeng, S. 1997. Language and Politics Indirectness in Political Discourse. Journal of Discourse and
Society 8 (1): 49-83.

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