ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the transition from democratic rule that can be labelled as "Democratic coup". This model combines the presence of a disloyal incumbent with a process where military plays a decisive role in the process of transition. The fragile foundations of democracy were shaken by the deteriorating economic situation caused by the drop in oil prices and the waste of resources that had characterized the second Republic since the return of democracy in 1979. The fragile Nigerian democratic experiment died then, overwhelmed by the ruling elites' inability to build a solid foundation for political alternation, which would have undermined the entire political, ethnic, and economic balance of power that had ensured the country's short-term stability. The 1997 financial crisis therefore had considerable effects on Thailand's real economy, with consequential long-term social consequences. The protest combined the urban middle classes unsatisfied with the economic policies and the old dominant elite in bureaucracy, the army, and the monarchy.
