Thailand
Contestation, Polarization, and Democratic Regression

This Element analyses elite political dominance and civil society resilience in Thailand's democratic struggle from the Cold War to today.

Prajak Kongkirati (Author)

9781009517690, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 30 May 2024

86 pages
23.5 x 15.9 x 1.2 cm, 0.28 kg

'This book offers a thought-provoking explanation of the dynamics of Thai politics at the national level. It invites both scholars and general readers to contemplate the future of military coups, military-backed constitutions and competing ideologies in this country.' Kai Chen, Asian Affairs

This Element aims to provide an overview of Thai politics with an up-to-date discussion of the characteristics of political regimes, political economy, and identity and mobilization that are grounded in historical analysis stretching back to the formation of the modern nation state. The thematic topics will focus on a) the chronic instability and ever-changing nature of political regimes resulting in the failure of democratic consolidation, b) the nexus of business and politics sustained by a patrimonial state structure, patronage politics and political corruption, and c) the contestation of identity and the causes and consequences of mass mobilization in the civic space and street politics.

Introduction
1. Consolidation, contestation, and cooptation: royal-military alliance and its opposition
2. Economic crisis, national political restructuring, and local power reordering (1997–2006)
3. Political crisis: polarization, inequality, and violence (2006–2014)
4. Struggle for (new) political order (2014–present)
5. Conclusion.

Subject Areas: Constitution: government & the state [JPHC]