- May 4, 2021
- 3,411
Universal Basic Services
Universal Basic Services (UBS) is a widespread form of social security in the Socialist Republic of Thailand. It provides unconditional access to free, basic, public services, funded by state revenues, to all citizens and legal residents of the confederation. The 2003 Thai Constitution mandates that each voluntarily formed provincial federation provide tailored UBS to its citizens. Subsequent confederal agreements established that the UBS includes education, healthcare, housing, essential food, water, sanitation, transportation, basic internet, legal aid, electricity, heating, cooling, and public broadcast media. Theoretically, according to Socialist Participatory Democracy, the UBS transcends the social-democratic welfare state and represents a socialist social security system provided by democratic, participatory, and transparent state institutions. It envisions that the UBS in a future communist society will be provided by the collective.
The rationale of UBS has its roots in Karl Marx’s critique of the political economy, which adopted a materialist conception of history, associating society with the base and superstructure model. Accordingly, Thai Marxist theorists argued that social security systems founded in capitalist states, especially those associated with the Nordic model, could not resolve the fundamental power imbalance between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. Therefore, any welfare system in a socialist society, seeking to realize communism, must ensure material safety, opportunity, and participation of the masses in their daily lives. The UBS is associated with the Thai Constitution’s commitment to substantive justice, which pursues social egalitarianism and economic equity between all people. Consequently, Thai people live without the anxiety and insecurity commonly associated with less-affluent members of other countries.
Access to safe, clean, and permanent accommodation is recognized as a human right in Thailand. Accordingly, provincial federations take responsibility for providing public housing to all citizens according to their needs. Although some people already own personal property as their residence, the UBS still provides accommodation to everyone who has to work, study, or conduct personal or professional matters far from their homes. This landscape is why all hotels or resorts in Thailand are available as part of public housing programs. However, foreign citizens and tourists must pay for such accommodation and services. Consequently, homelessness in Thailand is virtually non-existent.
Thailand has spent considerable capital developing techno-agriculture infrastructure and irrigation systems to support sustainable practices growing high-yielding crop variants. Local distribution centers often provide free raw and finished agricultural products because provincial federations subsidize the costs. A cultural practice emphasizes the communal kitchen as the source of community bonding and sustenance. Clean drinking water is available at local distribution centers, and provincial authorities regularly maintain and upgrade the sewage systems. However, Thailand is behind European standards in ensuring tap water quality meets that of drinking water. Thai people also practice sharing meals, contributing to greater local food security through mutual aid.
Thailand considers universal access to free public transportation a human right. Consequently, most Thai citizens rarely utilize personal vehicles for traveling. Provincial federations often delegate such responsibility to the District Administrative Organization (DAO), resulting in better punctuality and responsiveness. Public buses and trains are the primary means of transportation in Thailand and have reduced the frequency of traffic jams in major cities. Domestic travel by plane is also free at the point of service. This provision is because the aviation industry in Thailand is constitutionally a state monopoly. Recent confederal agreements are replacing old public transport buses with new electric vehicles that align with the country’s sustainability goal.
The rationale of UBS has its roots in Karl Marx’s critique of the political economy, which adopted a materialist conception of history, associating society with the base and superstructure model. Accordingly, Thai Marxist theorists argued that social security systems founded in capitalist states, especially those associated with the Nordic model, could not resolve the fundamental power imbalance between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. Therefore, any welfare system in a socialist society, seeking to realize communism, must ensure material safety, opportunity, and participation of the masses in their daily lives. The UBS is associated with the Thai Constitution’s commitment to substantive justice, which pursues social egalitarianism and economic equity between all people. Consequently, Thai people live without the anxiety and insecurity commonly associated with less-affluent members of other countries.
Access to safe, clean, and permanent accommodation is recognized as a human right in Thailand. Accordingly, provincial federations take responsibility for providing public housing to all citizens according to their needs. Although some people already own personal property as their residence, the UBS still provides accommodation to everyone who has to work, study, or conduct personal or professional matters far from their homes. This landscape is why all hotels or resorts in Thailand are available as part of public housing programs. However, foreign citizens and tourists must pay for such accommodation and services. Consequently, homelessness in Thailand is virtually non-existent.
Thailand has spent considerable capital developing techno-agriculture infrastructure and irrigation systems to support sustainable practices growing high-yielding crop variants. Local distribution centers often provide free raw and finished agricultural products because provincial federations subsidize the costs. A cultural practice emphasizes the communal kitchen as the source of community bonding and sustenance. Clean drinking water is available at local distribution centers, and provincial authorities regularly maintain and upgrade the sewage systems. However, Thailand is behind European standards in ensuring tap water quality meets that of drinking water. Thai people also practice sharing meals, contributing to greater local food security through mutual aid.
Thailand considers universal access to free public transportation a human right. Consequently, most Thai citizens rarely utilize personal vehicles for traveling. Provincial federations often delegate such responsibility to the District Administrative Organization (DAO), resulting in better punctuality and responsiveness. Public buses and trains are the primary means of transportation in Thailand and have reduced the frequency of traffic jams in major cities. Domestic travel by plane is also free at the point of service. This provision is because the aviation industry in Thailand is constitutionally a state monopoly. Recent confederal agreements are replacing old public transport buses with new electric vehicles that align with the country’s sustainability goal.
