Politics of Thailand - Thailand and Democracy After 1932

Thailand and Democracy After 1932

Thailand had been a kingdom under absolute monarchy for over seven centuries before 1932.

As a result of imperialism, the kings began a reform at some degrees. The king was the president of the government, consulted with his counsillors, mainly his relatives. Though the significant reform happened in the Rama V's reign, the kingdom still had no national assembly. The men of the royal blood held the positions in the government as ministers. The situation became tense after the World War I. The economic crisis attacked the country. The young generation of students and intellectuals studying in Europe began criticizing the crown's government as backward, corrupt, and ineffective. On June 24, 1932, troops in Bangkok seized government buildings and some key ministers. The so-called 1932 Revolution took place. Its leaders were both bureaucrats and young military officers, crying for the national reform, including the first written constitution. After negotiation with the king, Rama VII, and the kingdom's elite, the changes took place, ending absolute rule by the king. The king remained the titular head of state, but the constitutional government ruled the country with the prime minister as its head. The general election was held with the birth of the first national assembly.

Despite the efforts of previous kings, western, democratic style of the government was alien to the kingdom. Thailand had insufficient time to educate its population in preparation for western political, industrial and economic changes, albeit female vote was granted since the first general election.

Since becoming a western style constitutional democratic monarchy in 1932, for most of the time the country has been ruled by military governments. The disputes and struggles among the elites; old and new, civilian, politicians, and military happened from times to time since 1932. The first military coup staged by the 1932 revolutionary, military 'wing' itself, occurred in 1933. The military mean has become a necessary tool for political stability. Political freedom, freedom of speech and basic human rights were strongly compromised in the first three quarters of the twentieth century.

Due to the pressure of outside events during the Vietnam War, the politics of the kingdom became even more tense. The military government, with support of the US, tightened its control over the country's politics, while intellectuals and leftist students strongly opposed the junta.

The Communist insurgency led by the Communist Party of Thailand staged armed struggle in the countryside in the 60s. Communist and radical ideas attracted a handful of intellectuals. The communist movement was seen collateral with the independent movement in the Indochinese countries, waging war against the US. As a result, military junta expanded its grip. Intellectual as well as violent clashes between the junta and the intellectual sparked in the urban and the countryside respectively.

Student-led uprisings in October 1973 led to a new vision of liberating the country from military government for a short period. The media received more freedom to criticize politicians and governments, while revolutionary and socialist movements became more apparent. The new civilian government officially shut the U.S. bases amid the fear of the communist victory in the Indochinese countries in 1975. In 1976, Admiral Sa-ngad Chaloryu, the armed forces commander, staged a massacre and coup that brought hardline anti-communists to power and reversed these reforms.

At the end of the Indochina War, investment by foreign businesses helped alleviate poor infrastructure and social problems. The middle classes constituted only ten per cent of the sixty million population; they enjoyed wealth and increasing freedom, leaving the majority poor in the rural areas and slums.

The system of rule fluctuated between unstable civilian governments and interludes of military takeover. During democratic periods, the middle-class in the cities ignored the poor in the rural areas. The media accepted bribes. To corrupt bureaucrats and politicians became well accepted business practice. The military would take over as a measure of ultima ratio.

Every time a coup was staged, some scapegoats or excuses were always found to justify it. Eventually, the ensuing junta government would hand the government back to elected officials. As a result, there have been 18 coups and resultant 18 constitutions in the history of Thai politics.

From 1932, bureaucrats, generals, and businessmen have run most of the political parties. While the 'grassroots' are always the target of the political parties, no 'grassroot' party has ever led the country. Money seems to be the major factor of gaining power in the country. Political power means control over the national resource.

The Black May uprising, in 1992, lead to more reform when promulgating the 1997 constitution – "The People's Constitution" – aiming to create checks and balance of powers between strengthened government, separately elected senators and anti-corruption institutes. Administrative courts, Constitutional Courts and election-control committee were established to strengthen the checks and balance of politics.

The 2007 constitution, following Thaksin's ouster, was particularly designed to be tighter in its control of corruptions and conflicts of interests while reducing the authority of the government.