Advocating evidence-informed policy in Thailand: The case of the development of bicycle commuting policy framework

• Published in: Case studies on transport policy Vol. 10; no. 3; pp. 1727 - 1734
• Main Authors: Ungsuchaval, Theerapat, Kantamaturapoj, Kanang, Leelahavarong, Pattara, Yothasamut, Jomkwan, Ponragdee, Kunnatee, Prawjaeng, Juthamas, Hadnorntun, Phorntida
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2022
• Subjects: Bicycle commuting; Bicycle policy; Evidence use; Policy advocacy; Thailand; Policy advocacy; Bicycle policy; Evidence use; Thailand; Bicycle commuting
• ISSN: 2213-624X; 2213-6258
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cstp.2022.07.003

•Encouraging bicycle commuting as a mode of transportation in daily life significantly depends on public policy.•Multi-sectoral collaboration between NGOs and public support agencies is crucial to formulating a bicycle commuting policy framework in Thailand.•Many types of evidence (e.g. theoretical, empirical, and experiential) are equally and interactively applied in the development of bicycle commuting policy framework in Thailand.•Evidence alone is insufficient to inform bicycle commuting policy in Thailand. Other influencing strategies are needed to advocate the policy. In Thailand bicycle use in everyday life has been advocated and became a policy framework starting in 2012. The process behind this success was the use of evidence and other influencing strategies employed by Thailand Walking and Cycling Institute (TWCI) and ThaiHealth. This article aims to investigate how the policy framework for bicycle commuting has been developed in Thailand by looking at the way evidence has been utilized to influence and advocate the development of the policy. The article employed qualitative in-depth interviews with 13 key informants from TWCI, ThaiHealth, and relevant experts. The main findings are that the policy framework has been developed through a participatory policy development platform, the National Health Assembly (NHA), which allows and encourages the utilization of different types of evidence in formulating the policy framework and reconceptualizes cycling as a physical activity and non-motorized transportation, not just exercise. Evidence use is also supplemented by other influencing strategies in advocating the policy. This article recommends the decentralization of evidence generation and the increase in the production of non-scientific, cultural evidence so that bicycle commuting will be sustained in the country.