ABSTRACT
Since late 2013, the split in Thai society between two opposing camps—the Redshirts and the Yellowshirts—had been radicalizing and culminated in the coup d'état in May 2014. The political instability was further exacerbated by the death of King Bhumibol in September 2016. Throughout this time, far-right groups have been playing a crucial role in the political protests on the streets leading up to the coup, and after the coup during the times of the interregnum.
One prominent example is the Rubbish Collection Organization, a Facebook-based group which is performing witch hunts against people whom they consider disloyal to the Monarchy. Numerous loosely- or non-organized individuals have joined this Facebook group, and some of its mobbing and bullying postings reach over 200,000 likes. This virtual violence turned to open physical violence, especially in the days after the death of King Bhumibol.
The paper addresses theoretical and methodological questions in researching Internet-based far right movements in Thailand. First, it will be argued that the Thai groups have to be analyzed in a global context, given the current rise of far-right groups on a global scale. Against this background, the paper discusses how long-established political theories drawing on radical right-wing groups in Europe of the 1930s can be used to analyze such groups in Thailand today. Moreover, we will address the question how online and offline activism is interlinked and what key factors make cyberspace activists enter into street politics.
Secondly, the paper addresses methodological and ethical challenges concerning the research process. On one side, the established methodology of social movement research—such as in-depth interviews or participant observation—often fails in a climate of utmost political radicalization and open violence. On the other, the Internet opens new opportunities to circumvent such limitations, since most Thai groups are operating quite openly on Facebook.
