Hi! Yes, I'd say it's a good topic that can be pretty interesting for research.

Some useful articles to read related to this issue:

Braam, G., Nandy, M., Weitzel, U., & Lodh, S. (2015). Accrual-based and real earnings management and political connections. The International Journal of Accounting, 50(2), 111-141.

Harymawan, I., & Nowland, J. (2016). Political connections and earnings quality. International Journal of Accounting & Information Management.

Li, C., Wang, Y., Wu, L., & Xiao, J. Z. (2016). Political connections and tax-induced earnings management: evidence from China. The European Journal of Finance, 22(4-6), 413-431.

Al-Dhamari, R., & Ismail, K. N. I. K. (2015). Cash holdings, political connections, and earnings quality. International Journal of Managerial Finance.

Wahab, E. A. A., Jamaludin, M. F., Agustia, D., & Harymawan, I. (2020). Director networks, political connections, and earnings quality in Malaysia. Management and Organization Review, 16(3), 687-724.

Good luck!

Noor Nayeem Hasnat Farhan

You can look at this paper for ideas.

Fisman, R. (2001). Estimating the value of political connections. American Economic Review, 91, 1092–1102.

All the best

Corporate diversification

I am doing a similar work, I bet you there are thousand of research work on earnings management. You can take a look at the ethical aspect of earnings management

Article Political embeddedness and firms’ choices of earnings manage...

Article Effects of capital structure and institutional–financial cha...

Article Unemployment Governance, Labor Cost and Earnings Management:...

Article Financial Distress, Internal Control, and Earnings Managemen...

As already indicated by others, EM literature is very rich. You should, therefore, firstly answer a question whether you would like to replicate any of particular issues already addressed in previous studies on an example of the Thailand's capital market or whether you want to investigate something completely new (specific) to Thailand. Furthermore, considering that you are about to write a master thesis, I recommend selecting a topic you would be personally interested in or addressing some up-to-date issue, which may be relevant in your next carreer. Is, e.g., any recent case of misbehaviour of any listed firm in your country, which may be be worth examining whether it is a sole case or common practice?

I enclose a link to a free collections of corporate governance papers published in our journals since 2012 (more than 1300 papers in more than 50 thematical collections). I hope you will find it interesting to you in your research of earnings management and CG. https://virtusinterpress.org/A-set-of-updated-thematic-paper-collections-from-Virtus-Interpress.html

The 'busyness' phenomenon (multiple directorships) of directors can influence earnings quality both favorably and unfavorably.

I have two publications in this filed and you may get some ideas from the both, hopefully.

Article Busyness of audit committee directors and quality of financi...

Article Multiple directorships of corporate boards and firm performa...

Best wishes/

Shab Hundal

Muhammad Haseeb

You may check corporate political donation's effect on earnings management behavior of the firms. Usually firms that are donating more political donations are somehow politically connected and managers of these firms have different objectives compared to shareholders value maximization. You may find plenty of literature on political donations.