Abstract
Since the inauguration of the Thaksin administration in January 2001, Thailand has been in deep turmoil with two rival political camps fighting with each other. Beneath a number of incompatibilities that the rivalry has produced in response to different political phases lie the fundamental incompatibilities over the idea of democracy and the nature of the government. This chapter examines the manners in which these incompatibilities have been managed. It firstly places the current political conflict in the history of Thai people’s long-standing endeavour to seek a democracy suitable to the traditions and values of their own country. It also discusses the rise of the “new rich”, Thaksin and his colleagues included, as a result of Thailand’s integration to global economy. These developments have contributed to the current political conflict. The chapter then focuses on the conflict situation since 2001 and examines and assesses various efforts to address the incompatibilities. Among the findings of the chapter are as follows: Firstly, narrowing the gap between incompatible positions or goals of the conflicting parties or the integration of them did not taken place, making it necessary for the rival camps to mobilize the general public to overwhelm each other. Secondly, coup d’état was used decisively to eliminate the Thaksin and pro-Thaksin governments as parties to conflict, hereby dissolving specific incompatibilities. Thirdly, the fundamental incompatibilities over the idea of democracy and the nature of the government remained intact. These incompatibilities were not subject to the manoeuvring-around tactic, which would have created a space in which they would change for the better or dissipate on their own with sufficient time available.
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Notes
- 1.
“The Siam Revolution” took place on June 24, 1932, and it has been recorded in world history as being different from many revolutions in that it was a bloodless revolution and produced no property destruction, death, casualties or violence.
- 2.
In the past, corruption was based on government projects or auctions, but today corruption is based more on policies themselves. As a result, the level and size of corruption is massive and bigger than in the past. For example, in the past, corruption took place as bribery that some persons or businessmen paid directly to politicians to gain benefits from individual government projects, but today corruption arises from policies that the government drafts to favour big companies or tycoons. There are networks of corruption involving businessmen and politicians.
- 3.
Section 44 gives the head of NCPO (the post-2014 coup ruling military junta) the power to order acts deemed necessary for the purpose of state reform and national security, covering a wide range of political, economic and social issues related to national affairs.
- 4.
The parliament instructed the King Prajadhipok’s Institute, an academic institution under parliament’s supervision, to conduct a study on methods of reconciliation, which recommended, first, to create dialogues among the stakeholders in the political conflict both within and outside the political institutions and, second, to create a forum for the people to exchange their ideas regarding the future of Thailand.
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Singhaputargun, N., Oishi, M. (2020). In Search of Democracy with a National Character: Thailand’s Current Political Conflict. In: Oishi, M. (eds) Managing Conflicts in a Globalizing ASEAN. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-32-9570-4_6
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