The Role of Coffeehouse Councils in Thai Politics at the Community Level: A Case Study of Ban Na Doem District, Surat Thani Province

Abstract

This article explores the role of the “coffee council” (sapha kafe) as a space for grassroots politics through a case study of Ban Na Doem District, Surat Thani Province. The study employs the conceptual frameworks of Jürgen Habermas’s “public sphere,” Robert Putnam’s “social capital,” and the notion of “informal participation” to analyze how this daily gathering, embedded in local routine, serves as a platform for community members to engage in social and political discourse outside formal institutional structures. Findings reveal that the coffee council functions as a localized public sphere that fosters communication, critique of public policies, and collective political expression. Although lacking formal recognition or structure, the coffee council reflects the collective will of the community and serves as a vital mechanism in promoting participatory democracy at the local level.