ABSTRACT
Other than a brief period of military rule from 2006 to 2007, Thailand enjoyed an unprecedented two decades of civilian democratic rule prior to 2014. It contrasted well with the country’s history of Cold War authoritarian regimes. The coup d’état on May 22, 2014, however, put a sharp end to that process of democratization and brought the kingdom under the military rule of General Prayuth Chan-o-Cha. Even after the 2019 election, Thailand remains an autocracy and Prayuth continues in power with a semi-democratic government. This chapter investigates his rise and consolidation of power through cultural, political, and legalistic means. It argues that Prayuth and his regime worked to construct consent and a sense of legitimacy and took advantage of political burnout in Thai society.
