Factors Affecting the Political Culture of First-Time Voters in the General Election of 2023 A.D. in Upper North of Thailand

This article revisits the traditional political culture framework established by Gabriel Almond and Sidney Verba, which has been a cornerstone in the study of political culture for over five decades. By incorporating both traditional approaches and the political culture frameworks developed by Ronald Inglehart, Terry Clark, and Vincent Hoffmann-Martinot, which examines political culture in the context of economic and social changes, which are factors influencing the new political culture. Specifically, this study examines how economic, social, and political factors influence the political culture of first-time voters in the upper north of Thailand during the 2023 general election. The study sample size of 400 first-time voters from three provinces—Lamphun, Phrae, and Mae Hong Son. Quantitative research methods, including inferential statistics and multiple linear regression analysis, were employed to analyze the data.The findings reveal that social factors related to social media significantly influenced the political culture of first-time voters ( = .340). Economic factors, specifically the family's financial status, also played a significant role ( = .211), as did social factors concerning social trust ( = .139). However, economic factors such as state welfare and political factors, including political trust and the leadership of political leaders, were found to have no impact on the political culture of first-time voters in the upper north of Thailand.Future research should incorporate sociological and psychological dimensions to examine the motivations and obstacles influencing political participation among voters and its effects on political culture. Additionally, employing mixed-methods research for deeper analysis, including comparative studies of political generations, would help assess the impact of economic, social, and political factors on political culture.