Authors:Duncan McCargo, Ukrist Pathmanand,
Publisher: Nordic Institute of Asian Studies
Keywords: asian, history, contemporary, studies, thailand, nias, thaksinization
Number of Pages: 277
Published: 2004-11-30
List price: $28.00
ISBN-10: 8791114462
ISBN-13: 9788791114465

Prior to the 1997 economic crisis, for around 20 years Thai politics was characterized by a pluralistic political order, featuring unstable coalition governments, competing interests, and a gradual displacement of bureaucratic and military influence by the rising power of elected politicians (who in turn were closely linked to a range of business actors). A major reform package was enacted in 1997, coinciding with the promulgation of a new constitution. However, the country’s financial problems helped create the conditions for the emergence of the Thai Rak Thai (Thais love Thai, or TRT)