Thailand, Politics, Revolution?

[Boy Named Crow]

I was in Thailand for much of 2008 volunteering as a teacher in a small rural community. I became a real part of that community and as is the way with such things I began to get a feel for the culture and their ideas, etc.

However, what withmy Thai being just as basic as their English it was almost impossible to have in depth discussion with all but a select few individuals.

I really wanted to earn more and understand the political situation in Thailand, particularly following the protests and riots in Bangkok last July/August which I was around for.

Obviously there are also the rebel forces in the south of Thailand which I only know a little about as well.

I have a basic understanding of the whole thing but am looking for a little bit more information.

Does anyone on this board have any insight into Thai politics and a little time to write something here?

I'm hoping to go back later this year and would like to go back a little better educated :)

Cheers!

[Tatarin]

Thai politics, as I understand it, is divided into two camps. The first can be described as "royalists", and the other "reformists". The royalists use the yellow colour (the king's flag is yellow), and the reformists the red.

Unfortunately, there is not much difference in terms of a political wing. The royalists believe that the poorer part of Thailand, well, the poor, peasants, workers, are unfit for democracy (because the elected the Thaksin guy, who would later scam the country on it's money). The royalists are supported by the upper-middle class and parts of the overclass, as well as parts of the military (the coup they had before).

The "reformists" are on the other hand more "democratic" so to say, though they still uphold the market economy. They also believe that the country should stay democratic with everyone participating (i.e. the poor, workers, peasants also have the right to vote). I also that the longer term plan is to lower the position of the king (the Thai king is portrayed almost as a deity). I also heard that Thaksin bought the police, though the police is still deeply corrupted. The reformists are mostly supported by the lower classes, but also some in the middle and upper class, as well as parts of the military.

On one hand, while Thaksin may have been corrupt, he did put some popular reforms into action, such as a health care program.

The current prime minister is supported by the "royalists", and also part of the Democrat Party, which is the (apparently) longest lasting political party in Thailand (formed in the 1930s I think).

Well, I'm sure someone else has a better grip of the situation than me, but this is what I "get" of it at least.
:p

[Boy Named Crow]

Yeah its sort of a confirmation of what I know - with a few facts I didn't so thank you very much for that!

When I was in Thailand a Thai friend told me that the poorer areas of Thailand loved Thaksin because he was "one of them" - a man from Chang Mai in the rural north as oppsed to Bangkok. He also moved a lot of money that was being spent in Bangkok to projects in northern rural areas. Apparently he is the person to thank for any decent stretch of road you can find in the north. Whilst this increased his popularity among the working class, the royalist/conservative, middle and upper classes didnt like him.

They apparently resented that he was not from Bangkok and that he removed so much funding from Bangkok.

Thaksin was probably a little on the corrupt side but this is if you look at it as an outsider. From a Thai perspective, corruption is just a way of life. The police take bribes, people over charge and scam or work the system to their own benefit.

I think the milatry coup needed an excuse for the west. Thaksin just made it easy.