Porranee Singpliam
in South East Asia Research 34(1): 1-18.
Abstract: This article examines the relationship between women parliamentarians, social media and political communication in mass-mediated Thai politics. It explores how women politicians utilize social media for their self-presentation and unpacks the phenomenon of electorates-cum-fans of women politicians. Employing in-depth interviews with four women members of parliament (MPs) in the committee that oversees activities involving children, youth, women, seniors, persons with disabilities, ethnic groups and gender diversity, it uses qualitative data to unveil how gendered political images have been reconfigured. The MPs use social media to highlight their output, their affinity with constituents and the calibre of their work. They manoeuvre their femininity to attain political capital, revealing the negotiation between gendered expectations and political personae of contemporary women doing politics. The findings cover, first, how women parliamentarians use social media to publicize outputs, deliver information and invoke civic issues. Second, it examines how women politicians craft their communication methods to cohere with local constituencies, emphasizing populist modality where affective ties are key. Third, it shows how, by building approachability and rapport with their electorates, women MPs’ use of social media can foster civic engagement on issues pertaining to gender, human rights and societal structures.
About the author: Porranee Singpliam was a HYI Visiting Scholar from 2024-25.