The Internet, as part of information and communication technology, provides citizens with access to information, and allows them to interact with others in online communities. It could also increase the users' political potentials by decreasing the costs and resources' restraints. Given these benefits, this research asks whether or not Internet use would increase political participation in Thailand. Using the 2010 Asian Barometer data conducted in Thailand, the relationship between Internet use and political participation was tested. The results indicate that Internet use positively correlated with political participation, after controlling for individual resource measurement, namely demographic characteristics, education attainment, socio-economic status, political efficacy, and organisational skills. The odds of the respondents, who used the Internet to contact news media to solve their problems with government officials or policies, and to get together with others to raise an issue or sign a petition, were greater than those who did not use the Internet. The findings suggest that the Internet had mobilised people to actively engage in political participation. Policy recommendations aiming at promoting Internet use to encourage political participation and to strengthen the Thai democratic system as a whole are listed at the end of the research. IJAPS, Vol. 12, No. 2, 57–82, 2016 Sanyarat Meesuwan 58

中文翻译：

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互联网使用对政治参与的影响：互联网能否增加泰国的政治参与？

互联网作为信息和通信技术的一部分，为公民提供了访问信息的权限，并允许他们与在线社区中的其他人进行交互。通过降低成本和资源限制，还可以增加用户的政治潜力。考虑到这些好处，这项研究询问使用互联网是否会增加泰国的政治参与。使用在泰国进行的2010年亚洲晴雨表数据，测试了互联网使用与政治参与之间的关系。结果表明，在控制个人资源的测量（即人口特征，教育程度，社会经济地位，政治效能和组织技能）之后，互联网的使用与政治参与呈正相关。受访者的几率，与不使用互联网的人相比，使用互联网与新闻媒体联系以解决他们与政府官员或政策有关的问题，并与其他人聚在一起提出问题或签署请愿书的人更大。调查结果表明，互联网动员了人们积极参与政治参与。研究的结尾列出了旨在促进互联网使用以鼓励政治参与和增强泰国民主制度的政策建议。IJAPS，卷 12，No. 2，57–82，2016 Sanyarat Meesuwan 58 调查结果表明，互联网动员了人们积极参与政治参与。研究的结尾列出了旨在促进互联网使用以鼓励政治参与和增强泰国民主制度的政策建议。IJAPS，卷 12，No. 2，57–82，2016 Sanyarat Meesuwan 58 调查结果表明，互联网动员了人们积极参与政治参与。研究的结尾列出了旨在促进互联网使用以鼓励政治参与和整体上加强泰国民主制度的政策建议。IJAPS，卷 12，No. 2，57–82，2016 Sanyarat Meesuwan 58