Thai History PDF

The Sukhothai Kingdom 1238-1350 was the first Thai controlled kingdom in history. In this formerly Khmer ruled area, the Thais absorbed the cultures of the Khmers, Mons, Hindus, and Chinese and began the assimilation process that is important even today for understanding modern Thai society. -...

The Sukhothai Kingdom 1238-1350 was the first Thai controlled kingdom in history. In this formerly Khmer ruled area, the Thais absorbed the cultures of the Khmers, Mons, Hindus, and Chinese and began the assimilation process that is important even today for understanding modern Thai society. - Buddhism and Brahmanism- flourished among the Thais during the Sukhothai era. - considered as golden age as its nurturing kings boasted “fish in the water; rice in the fields,” built exquisite temples to support thousands of monks, and maintained a sizeable elephantry to protect the kingdom. Ayutthaya Period 1350-1767 Thai kings were transformed from paternalistic guardians into autocratic god kings with the attributes of a Brahmanic deity. The perception of the kings as devaraja (godkings), remains even today as an important element of the veneration shown the king by his subjects. - Sakdina System (field power) provided structure and hierarchy to the social and political relationships of the Thais. all persons in the Ayutthaya kingdom were given sakdina rankings according to the amount of land (or number of people) they controlled. sakdina system had ended by 1932, the informal hierarchical nature of the system has endured as an element of Thai society. Burmese invasion sa Ayutthaya nung 1767 kaya nag end na sya CHAKRI DYNASTY - new centralized government in Bangkok led by the Chakri Dynasty. Chakri kings were reform oriented—systematizing administrative structures, freeing slaves, bringing in highly educated technocrats, and ensuring the continued independence of the nation from Western colonialists. - King Mongkut and his son King Chulalongkorn- From 1851 through 1910, two legendary Chakri monarchs, advanced reforms to modernize Siam—as it was then known to the world. - King Bhumibol Adulyadej- present king, ninth of this dynasty Even after the 1932 revolt, which overthrew the absolute monarchy and established a constitutional monarchy, politics remained in the hands of a small elite group, now mostly civilian bureaucrats and military generals with little competition or balance from forces outside the bureaucratic arena. military, which emerged as the country’s dominant institution, has controlled political power in Thailand for about fifty of the past seventy-five years. From1932 to 1973, Thailand’s political system was a classic bureaucratic polity. Marshal Sarit Thanarat- most influential of the early post war leaders. - army commander in chief, became PRIME MINISTER IN 1957 - declared martial law, and ruled dictatorially for six years. - first prime minister to make economic development the cornerstone of his rule. Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn - followed Sarit’s footsteps, keep the military in firm control of every aspect of government and by pursuing economic development. Both Sarit & Thamon cooperated with US during Vietnam War Great Tragedy October 14, 1973- occurred when the citizenry rose against Thanom and his government. - military massacred hundreds of unarmed protesters at Democracy Monument in Bangkok - Thanom and his ruling partners were subsequently forced into exile at the behest of King Bhumibol. After the exile ni Thamon, King Bhumibol appointed the first Civilian government. 1976 October 1976 natapos ang democratic civilian rule dahil militar overthrew the government, NAG PROCLAIM NG MARTIAL LAW & abrogated the constitution. Under 1976- another massacre of students at Thammasat University in Bangkok. The military remained the dominant government institution until 1988. General Prem Tinsulanond- Naging Prime Minister - the country began to liberalize politically into a type of semi democracy. - included civilian technocrats in his cabinet and relied on the freely elected legislature for support of his programs. - remained in power from 1980 until 1988, when he voluntarily stepped down. Chatichai Choonhavan- first elected member of Parliament (MP) to become prime minister since the 1973–1976 period. - Chart Thai (Thai Nation) political party - held a reputation as a big business playboy - he initiated a number of highly popular policies, such as raising the salaries of government officials as well as the minimum wage for laborers, banning the indiscriminate cutting of trees, and standing up to the United States on trade and other economic issues. - Chatichai’s idea to transform Southeast Asia from a “battleground into a marketplace February 23, 1991- military coup d’état ousted Chatichai’s government and restored military power. - military leaders abrogated the constitution, dismissed the elected government, and set up the temporary National Peace Keeping Council (NPKC). Suchinda Kraprayoon- Army Commander in Chief and led NPKC - gave itself the powers of martial law and became the arbiter of public policy. The NPKC moved quickly to establish an interim constitution - Anand Panyarachun- a distinguished civilian, named by the NPKC as prime minister. - His appointment was a sign that the military believed the populace would not tolerate direct military rule for long. - his appointment was universally praised, reflecting his impeccable status and reputation as a diplomat, administrator, and businessman. - Political parties were retained, and a national legislative assembly was established to approve a new constitution and arrange for an election March 22, 1992 - New parliamentary elections were scheduled. The final Constitution document returned Thailand’s legislative body to its former system, in which the appointed upper house of Parliament was given equal power with the elected lower house in matters of policymaking Anand’s administration also set forth policy measures supporting privatization, trade liberalization, deregulation of the economy, a value-added tax, infrastructure projects, and constraints on labor unions. March 1992 polls: - March 1992 polls, military backed parties, which were close to General Suchinda, formed a joint campaign scheme to minimize competition and elect promilitary candidates. - other side were parties opposed to continued military dominance in Thai politics. *sa 1992 pa den - Chamlong Srimuang- Bangkok governor na leader ng opposition party - given up his gubernatorial position to lead a new party, Palang Dharma (Moral Force) - former military officer, enjoyed a reputation for being incorruptible - He campaigned wearing an indigo farmer’s shirt and cultivated an austere image as a faithful member of Santi Asoke - Santi Asoke- a new Buddhist sect that rejected superstitious practices and demanded a strict lifestyle of celibacy, vegetarianism, and material sacrifice. 1992 pa rin - March 1992 elections resulted in a narrow victory for parties aligned with the NPKC. - General Suchinda- nominated by promilitary parties for prime ministership  - General Suchinda accepted the nomination and, in the process, reversed the steps Thailand had taken toward democracy. - 50,000 protesters demonstrated against the new government following the announcement of Suchinda’s appointment. - anti-Suchinda demonstrations grew larger in the days that followed, bringing well over 100,000 Thais onto Bangkok streets in May 1992. Led by Chamlong and opposition leaders, mobile phone carrying urbanites, members of the middle class, and white-collar professionals demanded that Suchinda step down. - In an episode eerily reminiscent of 1973 and 1976, Thai soldiers filed into Bangkok upon Suchinda’s orders and began indiscriminately shooting into the defenseless crowds. Suchinda’s troops also took control of the country’s media and communications networks, but demonstrators with cameras and handheld video equipment recorded the violence and broadcast the images outside of Bangkok via fax machines and videotape. - Black May 1992 - tragic product of Suchinda’s hubris and miscalculations where hundreds of people died from soldier fired weapons - After the violence, Prime Minister Suchinda was subsequently driven from office, his legacy a disastrous forty-eight-day reign. - King Bhumibol succeeded in ending the crisis by dismissing Suchinda, agreeing to amnesty for all persons involved in the demonstrations, and supporting constitutional amendments designed to reduce the military’s dominance in politics. Anand Panyarachun- return as Prime minister after the approval of King Bhumibol after the May 1992 crisis - his appointment was met enthusiastically by most Thais, who recalled the international praise he earned for running an honest and efficient government during the previous interim period. - he demoted top military leaders responsible for the violence, removed important state enterprises from military control, and scheduled a new round of parliamentary elections, announcing he would remain in office for only four months, a promise he kept September 1992 elections- featured 2,417 contenders from sixteen parties contesting 360 parliamentary seats. - Some parties changed their names and distanced themselves from the tainted “devil” parties affiliated with the military. - The prodemocracy “angel” parties won the poll and formed a government under the leadership of a civilian politician as leader of the country. - Chuan Leekpai - soft-spoken, moderate leader of the Democrat Party from Trang Province in the south, assumed the position of prime minister. - he was challenge to find a balance between democratic rule and sensitivity to the traditional prerogatives of the military. - faced the challenge of keeping together his fragile administration, which included leaders of the coalition parties who themselvescoveted the prime ministership.  - Opposition leaders pointed to Chuan’s lack of charisma and leadership and his lack of policy initiatives and new programs to address the growing list of problems facing the country: traffic congestion, pollution, environmental degradation, child labor, HIV/AIDS, centralized decision-making, water shortages, and ubiquitous corruption. - May 1995 - his parliamentary coalition fell apart due to a land reform scandal in the south (a Democrat stronghold) and because of conflicting demands among the ruling coalition of political parties. New elections were called. July 1995 - July 1995 election, 40 million people voted. Predictably, campaign issues were vague because political parties in Thailand at the time did not articulate clear platforms or represent particular ideologies. - Party hopping ensued - Banharn Silpaarcha- leader of the Chart Thai party, major personality in the campaign - billionaire business executive with six terms in Parliament and a former minister of agriculture, industry, interior, finance, and transportation. - viewed as someone who understood the average Thai, Because he represented a rural constituency - Khun AeThiAm” (Mr. ATM)x nickname given by political opponent citing that he was thoroughly corrupt - viewed by Bangkok voters and intellectual elites as country bumpkin - his administration turned out to be a disaster characterized by corruption, a lack of direction, personal dishonesty (Banharn was discovered to have plagiarized his law thesis), and economic malaise. November 1996 Election Chavalit Yongchaiyudh- retired general and leader of the New Aspiration Party won and replaced Banharn - unpopular among Bangkok’s elites and the leading newspapers, although he had achieved popularity in rural areas for his support of developmental projects in the country’s northeast provinces, or Isan region - As prime minister, he faced two challenges: the passage of a new constitution, from a process that began prior to his tenure, and the 1997 Asian economic crisis, which began in Thailand during his watch. - SEPTEMBER 27, 1997- new constitution was passed by the Praliament - The People’s Constitution - considered to be the most democratic constitution in Thai history - June 1997- Thai Baht collapsed - As a result of the crisis, rising unemployment, inflation, IMF conditionality, and a failed financial sector, Chavalit’s status became increasingly tenuous. Large demonstrations opposing his leadership began.  - The protests centered on Chavalit’s inability to resolve the economic crisis. Under his watch, the baht had lost half its value against the dollar, the stock market had fallen precipitously, and the IMF was asked to bail out the country with a loan of some $17 billion. - Chavalit announced his resignation as prime minister, an office he had held for just eleven months. Chuan Leekpai- of the opposition Democrat Party, managed to forge a coalition majority and was appointed interim prime minister until new elections could be held in 1998 under new constitutional provisions. - Chuan instituted reform measures to rescue the economy and mandated transparency and accountability, but the crisis continued to hurt the bulk of the population financially New Election in 2001 led to the rise of Dr. Thaksin Shinawatra Dr. Thaksin Shinawatra- a telecommunications mogul and founder of the Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) political party. - former minister and estranged ally of Chamlong Srimuang, Thaksin was among Thailand’s richest businessmen, having made his fortune selling computers to Thai government agencies - his business empire spanned most of Southeast Asia’s rapidly growing markets and his name appeared on Fortune’s list of the world’s richest people. - His early career was in criminal justice, a field that had brought him to the United States for master’s and doctoral degrees and then back to Thailand, where he worked in the Metropolitan Police Department. - ranked among the country’s unrefined nouveaux riche in the eyes of Bangkok’s urbane aristocrats. - Thai Rak Thai Party (TRT) - powerful party proved so volatile that it ultimately led to another military coup, Thaksin’s forced exile, and an intractable political crisis setting in motion the volatile Red Shirt–Yellow Shirt divide that continues to the present day Chuan Leekpai’s Democrats had held power for much of the 1990s, and Thais criticized their recovery policies for catering to international investors first. Many Thais believed it was time for a change. Thaksin, adopting a populist platform, promised to solve the economic problems, provide funds to villages, and grant debt relief to farmers. - Thaksin offered a more Keynesian approach, where the government would stimulate the economy with its own spending programs. - At its ideological core, however, Thaksin’s TRT was a walking paradox: It was fiercely nationalist, but not isolationist; it was populist but also favored the business elite; it was hedged with military allies, but it was not promilitary. TRT was a classic patronage-based party network, but it offered a fresh message unwedded to staid notions of bureaucratism, moderation, or nostalgic “Thainess.”  - Thaksin almost lost his seat shortly after taking it. In April 2001, a constitutional court opened a corruption case against him because the constitutionally mandated National Counter Corruption Commission alleged that he had hidden assets while serving as a cabinet member in 1997. - he was the longest serving civilian prime minister in Thai parliamentary history. - In the world of agriculture, he championed a policy to turn Thailand into “the kitchen of the world” by funding research and development in agricultural biotechnology, and started flirting with lifting the ban on genetically engineered crops. - Programs such as the “million cows project,” designed to give “one farmer, one cow,” were disparaged by opposition politicians as mere vote buying schemes veiled as antipoverty programs. - Heavy criticism also came from human rights groups and the international community for Thaksin’s brutal 2003 antidrug war, which included over 2,000 extrajudicial killings. - Thaksin had become Thailand’s most polarizing figure in decades. - He was able to stay in power until his government’s four-year term expired. - With the economy back on track and rural constituents satisfied, TRT found itself in solid command for the scheduled 2005 general election. The small chance that opposition Democrats had to unseat TRT and the Chart Thai Party became even smaller after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami hit southern Thailand—a Democrat stronghold—weeks before the election. - Thaksin’s actions during the disaster won him praise from both Thais and members of the international community. February 2005 general election - TRT won big—bigger than any party in the history of Thai democracy, securing 375 of 500 seats. - The opposition Democrats won only 96 of the 125 remaining seats, Chart Thai won just 27, and 2 went to a minor party. - Anti-Thaksin demonstrations began in Bangkok streets in late 2005, centering on allegations of official corruption. - A few months later, in a gift to Thaksin’s critics, a major scandal broke, with Thaksin unambiguously caught in the middle. - Having used laws crafted by his own government, Thaksin benefited from a transaction where his family sold its $1.9 billion communications empire, to a Singaporean entity, tax-free. - Thaksin, facing serious pressure, dissolved Parliament and called a snap election in an attempt to reestablish his legitimacy. Democrats and other opposition parties boycotted the election, publicly citing TRT vote buying strategies and alleging that Thaksin held dictatorial ambitions. - TRT won the April 2006 polls but was unable to establish a functioning Parliament due to the boycott and cries of illegitimate results. - With demonstrations for his ouster expanding, and a court ruling annulling election results, Thaksin was forced to take audience with King Bhumibol. Thaksin agreed to step down. - He arranged, however, to continue on as a caretaker prime minister, at least until new polls could be held. To his critics it was a false resignation; to his supporters it was a shrewd political victory. - His dissenters, organized under the People’s Alliance for Democracy, or PAD, became enraged when they realized Thaksin would still run the country as a caretaker prime minister - Standing at the head of the anti-Thaksin movement were PAD leaders Sondhi Limthongkul, a media mogul himself & Chamlong Srimuang, the resurrected leader of the “angel” forces of Black May 1992, Santi Asoke adherent, and founder of the defunct Palang Dharma Party, of which Thaksin was once a part. - To distinguish their movement, they coopted the royally significant color yellow and identified themselves with yellow protest signs, hats, bandannas, and Tshirts. - Added to the growing list of Thaksin’s alleged sins was the most serious accusation of them all— that Thaksin sought to eclipse the baramee (cultural charisma) of the king himself and even coveted republicanism. - For evidence, the PAD pointed to Thaksin’s increasing ceremonial activities that depicted him as a head of state rather than head of government. - The color yellow regularly donned by the PAD faithful took on heightened symbolism; no longer did wearing yellow simply celebrate monarchy, as it had previously, it now implied support for its protection from Thaksin. - King Bhumibol’s most trusted adviser, Privy Councilor Prem Tinsulanond, emanated contempt for Thaksin. The charge of republican ambition was political dynamite, upping the stakes of politics to a new level. Chatichai’s “unusually rich” cabinet, Banharn’s faked law degree, and Chuan’s land reform fiasco appeared as minor scandals in comparison. - Thaksin’s greatest ally amidst the rising controversy was the democratic principle of majority rule - The decision of opposition parties to boycott the April 2006 snap election was proof that Thaksin’s opponents also recognized this fact. They knew that for all their charges in labeling rural voters as uneducated, stupid, and foolish, little could be done to change electoral realities. They calculated that Thaksin’s grip on power would hold as long as majoritarian elections were in the picture - The military denied coup rumors, but with another election pending in late 2006, and yet another TRT victory virtually assured, military coup d’état did indeed return to Thailand in the early morning hours of September 19, 2006.  - While seizing power, the military muzzled the media and streamed images of the monarch on television throughout the day of the takeover. - Thaksin, in New York to deliver a speech at the United Nations, never returned to Thailand. - TRT ministers inside the country were ordered to report to the Sonthi Booyaratklin and other coup leaders for temporary detainment. - The country was put under martial law for months. No groups of more than five people, including political parties, were allowed to gather and discuss politics. - Armed troops were sent to Thaksin’s home province of Chiang Mai as well as others, inhibiting any opportunity for backlash by pro-Thaksin forces. - The coup group announced itself as the Council for Democratic Reform under the Constitutional Monarchy, shortened later to the Council on National Security, or CNS - Though it was never revealed officially, Thailand’s public and its outside observers knew that the hands of Prem Tinsulanond had engineered the coup. - An appointed government was soon authorized. - Its legitimacy rested on royal approval, Prem’s backing, and support from the country’s Bangkok based, anti-Thaksin political minority - Martial law prevented organized dissent. Political scientists inside and outside the country shook their heads in dismay: “What had seemed like a firm march toward democratic consolidation from May 1992 onward had suddenly fizzled and relapsed into military authoritarian rule.” - In the fifteen months of military rule between September 2006 and December 2007, new initiatives enacted by coup leaders attempted to roll back Thaksinomics and set Thailand on a course of political reform. - in a move alarming to international investors, the CNS announced that all government decisions, including those from economic ministries, would be based on the principles of Sufficiency Economy, the royal inspired economic theory advocating Buddhist moderation, reduced consumption, and small-scale family farming. It was a clear signal away from Thaksin’s pro-growth policies. - the junta abrogated the 1997 People’s Constitution, viewed as culpable in fostering Thaksin’s rise. - The junta crafted constitution barely passed, with a weak 58 percent of the national vote; a majority of voters in the pro-Thaksin Isan region voted against it. elections in December 2007 - elections in December 2007 proved that the coup had resolved nothing from the perspective of anti-Thaksin forces. - Thaksin may have been in exile, but his party lived on, and so did its majority support from Thai voters.  - Even a ruling by a constitutional court that forcibly dissolved Thai Rak Thai for past election violations could not prevent it from forming under a different name: The People’s Power Party (PPP). - The PPP won the December 2007 general election and formed a new government under Samak Sundaravej - Samak Sundaravej is a seventy-two years old and flirting with political retirement. - He was a veteran politician with an independent, nakleng (tough guy) image that was long tainted by allegations of involvement in the 1976 Thammasat University massacre. - During the Thaksin years, Thais viewed him as a loudmouthed TV gadfly, known for hosting a popular cooking show called Chim Pai, Bon Pai (Tasting and Complaining). - After the coup, Thaksin took up residence in the United Kingdom and purchased the Manchester City Premier League football team. By May 2008 - , Sondhi’s and Chamlong’s PAD forces were back on the streets demanding Samak’s resignation and the dissolution of Parliament - The PAD then introduced its proposal for “New Politics,” which called for reform of the country’s Parliament to become 70 percent appointed and only 30 percent elected. - The proposal also encouraged the full embrace of Sufficiency Economy and New Theory Agriculture - New Theory Agriculture is the royally conceived anti poverty strategy that recommended self-sustaining family farming and the avoidance of all debt, including investment debt for cropping. -. A state of emergency was nevertheless declared after bloody clashes between anti-PAD groups and PAD protestors left scores wounded and one dead. - a court ruling forced Samak to step down from his post. The charge: paid appearances on a TV cooking show while serving as prime minister. - the PPP rallied around a new choice for prime minister: Somchai Wongsawat, Thaksin’s brother-in-law. - The PAD, relentless in its efforts to force TRT remnants out of power, then occupied Parliament itself, trapping elected officials inside. Prime Minister Somchai was forced to jump over the back fence of the assembly compound to escape the siege. - The PAD’s risky actions pushed Somchai to the edge. He dispatched police, who then engaged protesters in a serious clash that led to the death of one female protester - Queen Sirikit attended the protester’s funeral, an act that emboldened the PAD faithful. - By late 2008, the PAD announced its “final battle” to remove the proThaksin PPP government from power. By the thousands, “Yellow Army” protesters moved first to occupy a government run television station and then both of Bangkok’s airports, including Thailand’s new Suvarnabhumi International Airport, a Thaksin project showcase - Prime Minister Somchai, forced to govern from Chiang Mai, refused to step down and issued calls for the PAD to withdraw before force would be employed. - ProThaksin “Red Shirt” supporters of the sitting government, organized as the United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), began to stage counterrallies around the city. - The siege finally ended in its eighth day, just prior to annual birthday celebrations for the monarch - As with Samak’s expulsion, it was the courts that proved consequential. In an expedited case, a constitutional court ruled that the People’s Power Party had violated election law during the 2007 elections, and the party was ordered dissolved. Dissolution meant Somchai was disqualified for office and had to begin a five-year ban from politics. - The remaining PPP members reorganized themselves into a third incarnation of Thaksin’s TRT, the Puea Thai Party, but it was unable to form a coalition government. - Party defections began spurring talks of a new government coalition led by Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, an Oxford educated, forty-four-year-old protégé of Democrat veteran Chuan Leekpai. - December 15, 2008, Abhisit won enough votes in Parliament to become Thailand’s new prime minister. - In a series of dramatic events, the UDD protesters successfully disrupted the 2009 ASEAN summit hosted by the Thai government in the resort town of Pattaya. - On May 13, a favorite leader of the more hardline camp of Red Shirts, a rogue Thai army general, was fatally shot in the head by a gunman on a motorbike while giving a sidewalk interview to a New York Times reporter. - U.N. secretary- general Ban Ki Moon and other world leaders urged a peaceful resolution to no avail - The end arrived on May 19 after a final push by Thai army forces into the heart of the protest site. Red Shirt leaders surrendered and were brought under immediate arrest. - Arguably, the violence and chaos could have been avoided had Abhisit and UDD leaders not given up on negotiations. Before the bulk of the violence occurred, a deal to dissolve Parliament and hold new elections in November had been struck. Had UDD leaders stuck with that date, or had Abhisit been willing to move it up even after the Red Shirts balked, it is conceivable that most of the violence, destruction, and death associated with the country’s worst political turmoil in decades could have been avoided. - May 6, 2011, following months of recriminations, investigations, and further political difficulties—including PAD leaders turning against the Democrat led government—embattled prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva dissolved Parliament and called for new elections six months ahead of schedule. - The 2011 general elections would be the country’s ninth in nineteen years. - new election date, June 3, 2011, opened the door for the Red Shirt camp to enlist its most powerful weapon: the ballot box. - Yingluck Shinawatra, the younger sister of the exiled Thaksin, was selected by Puea Thai to be its candidate for prime minister. - Yingluck became Thailand’s first Thai female prime minister and Puea Thai secured 253 of 500 seats and control over 53 percent of the lower house. -. Only months into her tenure, Thailand experienced its worst spate of flooding in fifty years. - formation of a new anti-Yingluck group, Pitak Siam (Protecting Siam), led by a retired general who publicly announced his desire for another coup. - In the aftermath of 2010 political violence, Yingluck pursued national reconciliation with difficulty but resisted any temptation to unilaterally arrange for her brother’s return from exile—a move that would enrage the royalist Yellow Shirt coalition. - Her government’s strict enforcement of lèsemajesté laws drew ongoing criticism from international human rights groups but appeased the traditional elites who distrusted her as a mere puppet of Thaksin - during her first year Yingluck governed within the rule of law and, unlike her brother, never exceeded the constitutional powers granted to her.