ABSTRACT
In the first part of Chapter 2, Thailand, the political history of the country is recounted since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932. This account includes analysis of the cyclical nature of Thai political life which features failed parliamentary governance, military coups, and repeated constitutional crises. Detailed attention is given to recent political polarization dividing the country’s “yellow-shirts” (traditional conservatives supportive of royalist and military intervention in politics) and “red-shirts” (supporters of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and electoral governance). The active and praetorian role of the Thai military is highlighted alongside the country’s recent democratic decay. The latter part of the chapter assesses the country’s key political institutions and social groups, namely the monarchy, constitutions, the military, bureaucracy, political parties, and parliament. A section devoted to state-society relations and democracy follows which examines the country’s aristocratic tendencies, weak democratic institutions, and tenuous commitment to the rule of law. A brief examination of Thailand’s economic development follows, noting both the country’s achievements in economic growth and poverty reduction as well as endemic income inequality plaguing Thai society. The chapter closes with an overview of Thailand’s foreign affairs including its relations with United States, ASEAN, China, Japan, and Cambodia. A map of Thailand is in included for geographical reference.
