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Destined Statecraft pp 109–147Cite as

Chaperoning Thai Populist Democracy: Habitus, Structure and Technique of King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s Statecraft (1946–2016)

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Abstract

In order to identify the structural source of contemporary Thailand’s statecraft , this chapter mainly accounts for the accomplishments for which King Bhumibol Adulyadej managed to establish himself as the de facto sovereign of Thailand . In the first place, it will account for how King Bhumibol consolidated and uplifted the royal power over the military power during and after the Cold War period. It will argue for the ways how King Bhumibol went with the larger but contradictory flows of China-backed communist insurgency and US-backed counter-insurgency, which he gradually absorbed the military and uplifted the royal power. Secondly, through examining the historical formation of the Thai rice political economy, it will argue that developing the national rice economy was a major achievement of King Bhumibol to establish his royal sovereignty especially among the rural majority. Nevertheless, this royal sovereignty has been structured following the historical orbits of the ‘sakdina’ (Thai: meaning ‘power over the land’) order. Thirdly, it will examine the rise of the Shinawatra group as a locally hailed populist force in north and north-eastern Thailand. It will argue that the rise of the post-1990 democratic populism had undermined the monarch-centric ‘sakdina’ structured order. The populist rice policies of the former Prime Ministers Thaksin Shinawatra and Yingluck Shinawatra also posed a significant challenge to the conservative elite of the monarchy, the military and the judiciary. Finally, by asking how to plot bloodless coup in Thailand, it will argue that such technique is essential for the conservative elite to chaperone the populist democracy and defend the ‘sakdina’ order as the most resilient habitus in Thailand.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Sources: (1) ‘Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej Dies, Ending Reign of World’s Longest Serving Monarch’. The Telegraph. 14 October 2016. (2) ‘Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej Dead at 88’. BBC News. 13 October 2016. (3) ‘What will King Bhumibol’s Death Mean for Thailand?’ Reuters. 13 October 2016. (4) ‘Thailand’s King Bhumibol Takes Final Journey Past Grieving Subjects’. Reuters. 14 October 2016. (5) ‘Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej Dies after 70-year Reign’. The Guardian. 13 October 2016. (6) ‘King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand Dies Aged 88’. Financial Times. 13 October 2016.

  2. 2.

    Source: ‘泰國王儲延遲一年登基, 普密蓬親信、樞密院院長任攝政王’ 端傳媒. 17 October 2016.

  3. 3.

    Sources: (1) ‘Voters in Thailand Endorse Military’s Proposed Constitution’. The New York Times. 7 August 2016. (2) ‘Thai Referendum: Military-Written Constitution Approved’. BBC News. 7 August 2016. (3) ‘Thailand Referendum: New Constitution Wins Approval’. Al Jazeera. 7 August 2016. (4) ‘泰國新憲法公投日, 沉默大眾能否叫停軍方主政?’ 端傳媒 7 August 2016. (5) ‘泰國新憲法公投開票8成62%民眾支持’ 自由時報. 7 August 2016.

  4. 4.

    ‘Thai “Roadmap” to Democratic Rule Unchanged by King’s Death: PM’. Reuters. 18 October 2016.

  5. 5.

    Sources: (1) ‘How King Bhumibol Shaped Modern Thailand’. BBC News. 13 October 2016. (2) ‘Obituary: King Bhumibol of Thailand’. BBC News. 13 October 2016.

  6. 6.

    Source: ‘Obituary: King Bhumibol of Thailand’. BBC News. 13 October 2016.

  7. 7.

    Sources: (1) ‘How King Bhumibol Shaped Modern Thailand’. BBC News. 13 October 2016. (2) ‘Obituary: King Bhumibol of Thailand’. BBC News. 13 October 2016.

  8. 8.

    Source: ‘Profile: Thai Regent Prem Tinsulanonda’. BBC News. 15 October 2016.

  9. 9.

    Source: ‘Obituary: King Bhumibol of Thailand’. BBC News. 13 October 2016.

  10. 10.

    Source: ‘Obituary: King Bhumibol of Thailand’. BBC News. 13 October 2016.

  11. 11.

    Sources: (1) ‘Thailand Votes for a New Constitution’. The Economist. 8 August 2016. (2) Patrick Jory (2016). ‘The Real Meaning of Thailand’s Constitutional Referendum’. Asian Currents (Asian Studies Association of Australia; http://asaa.asn.au). 16 August 2016.

  12. 12.

    Source: ‘King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, 1927–2016’. Financial Times. 13 October 2016.

  13. 13.

    Source: ‘泰國憲法公投過關, 走向隱性軍政府’ 端傳媒. 9 August 2016.

  14. 14.

    Sources: (1) ‘Thai Referendum: Why Thais Backed a Military-backed Constitution’. BBC News. 9 August 2016. (2) ‘Thai Junta Passes Ballot Box Test with Referendum Win’. Reuters. 8 August 2016. (3) ‘Thailand Votes in Favour of Military Backed Constitution’. Financial Times. 7 August 2016. (4) Mong Palatino (2016). ‘Thailand’s New Constitution: A Blow to Rights?’ The Diplomat. 17 August 2016.

  15. 15.

    Sources: (1) ‘Political Implications of the Draft Constitution of Thailand: A Conversation with Prof Tom Ginsburg and Mr Khemthong Tonsakulrungruang’. International Idea (www.idea.int). 28 July 2016. (2) ‘政變兩年後泰國舉行新憲法公投’ BBC News. 7 August 2016.

  16. 16.

    Since 2009, I have served as a visiting researcher at the Institute of Thai Studies of Chulalongkorn University. Over the years, I thank its director Arjahn Suchitra Chongstitvatana for having engaging dialogues with me (Wong & Chongstitvatana, 2014a, b ‘thick dark democracy’). I also wish to acknowledge the Dean of Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts of Chulalongkorn University, Arjahn Suppakorn Disatapundhu for generously sharing his insights.

  17. 17.

    State Irrigation Act (B.E. 2485 [1946]). English source: Thailand Law Forum (www.thailandlawforum.com). Date of document: 1 February 2010.

  18. 18.

    Section 17, Chapter III, State Irrigation Act (B.E. 2485 [1946]). English source: Thailand Law Forum (www.thailandlawforum.com). Date of document: 1 February 2010.

  19. 19.

    Kamnang Song’s original Thai and Chinese names are ‘Song Ongchaiwatana’ and ‘翁樹松’, respectively. Sources: (1) Individual interview with Kamnang Song in his residence in Bangkok, Thailand. 12 May 2012.

  20. 20.

    Source: (1) Individual interview with Kamnang Song in his residence in Bangkok, Thailand. 13 May 2012. (2) Nadon, Somwong (1987). ‘Kamnang Song Aungchaiwattana’ (In Thai language). Business Leader (ผู้นำธุรกิจ). Volume 1.7.

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  1. Department of Politics, Languages & International Studies, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, Bath and North East Somerset, BA2 7AY, UK

    Pak Nung Wong

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Wong, P. (2018). Chaperoning Thai Populist Democracy: Habitus, Structure and Technique of King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s Statecraft (1946–2016). In: Destined Statecraft. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6563-7_5

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