Bangkok, May 2010: Perspectives on a Divided ThailandMichael J Montesano, Pavin Chachavalpongpun, Aekapol Chongvilaivan After a two-month stand-off between Red Shirt protestors and the government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, violence and arson scarred central Bangkok in mid-May 2010. This shocking turn of events underlined how poorly understood the deep divisions in the society and politics of Thailand remained, even five years into the country’s prolonged crisis. This volume collects analysis and commentary on those divisions from an unusually large and prominent group of Thai and foreign scholars and observers of the country. Contributions examine socio-economic, political, diplomatic, historical, cultural, and ideological issues with rare frankness, clarity, and lack of jargon. |
Contents
| 1 | |
| 10 | |
| 15 | |
An Open Letter to Dr Kanit Na Nakorn 16 July 2010 by Tyrell Haberkorn | 42 |
5THE IMPACT OF THE RED SHIRT RALLIES ON THE THAI ECONOMY by Aekapol Chongvilaivan | 55 |
A Statistical Analysis by Ammar Siamwalla and Somchai Jitsuchon | 64 |
Thailands Democratministered State and the Negation of Red Shirt Politics by Marc Askew | 72 |
8 A NEW POLITICS OF DESIRE AND DISINTEGRATION IN THAILAND by Chairat Charoensinolarn | 87 |
Thailands Deep Crisis of Authority by Charles Keyes | 171 |
16 TWO CHEERS FOR RALLY POLITICS by Duncan McCargo | 190 |
From Partner to Problem by Ann Marie Murphy | 199 |
Revolt of the Downtrodden or Conflict among Elites? by Pasuk Phongpaichit and Chris Baker | 214 |
An Autoethnography of Economicand Political Transitions in a Northeastern Thai Village by Pattana Kitiarsa | 230 |
The United States Position in the Thai Crisis by Pavin Chachavalpongpun | 248 |
21THE SOCIAL BASES OF AUTOCRATIC RULE IN THAILAND by Craig J Reynolds | 267 |
A Grand Gesture to History Justice and Accountability by David Streckfuss | 274 |
9 NOTES TOWARDS AN UNDERSTANDING OF THAI LIBERALISM by Michael K Connors | 97 |
10 THAILANDS CLASSLESS CONFLICT by Shawn W Crispin | 108 |
Making Reconciliation Mean Something by Federico Ferrara | 120 |
An Awakening of Popular Political Consciousness for Rights? by David Fullbrook | 131 |
13 CLASS INEQUALITY AND POLITICS by Kevin Hewison | 143 |
14 THAILANDS ROCKY PATH TOWARDS A FULLFLEDGED DEMOCRACY by Kasit Piromya | 161 |
23 NO WAY FORWARD BUT BACK? Reemergent Thai Falangism Democracy and the New Red Shirt Social Movement by Jim Taylor | 287 |
24 FLYING BLIND by Danny Unger | 313 |
25 THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF THAILANDS MIDDLEINCOME PEASANTS by Andrew Walker | 323 |
26 ROYAL SUCCESSION AND THE EVOLUTION OF THAI DEMOCRACY by Andrew Walker | 333 |
| 339 | |
Common terms and phrases
Abhisit government Abhisit Vejjajiva accessed 7 March ammat amnesty Andrew Walker April Army ASEAN Asia Asian ASTV authoritarian baht Bangkok Post benefits Bhumibol Adulyadej cent Chris Baker conflict constitution country’s coup crackdown crisis cultural Democracy against Dictatorship Democrat Party double standards economic elections electoral Emergency Decree Falange figures first force foreign former Front for Democracy global government’s groups Hun Sen income inequality influence July leadership liberal March—May mass middle class military mobilization monarchy networks Northeast office officials PAD’s parliament Pasuk Phongpaichit politicians Prime Minister Abhisit Prime Minister Thaksin protests rally Ratchaprasong reconciliation Red Shirt leaders Red Shirt movement Red Shirt protestors reflect reform regime region rural sector significant Southeast Asia Southeast Asian tambon Thai Party Thai politics Thai Rak Thai Thai society Thailand’s political Thaksin Shinawatra Thammasat University UDD’s United urban village violence vote Yellow Shirts