This introductory book on Thai politics and the rule of law explains why chronically unstable Thailand struggles to mediate and adjudicate its political disputes. It focuses on the continuities between the pre-1932 and post-1932 periods. Since the shift to constitutional monarchy in 1932, the power of the monarch and military has endured; the legislature, electorate and, until recently, judiciary have been comparatively powerless; and constitutions and laws have been comparatively unimportant. Historical continuities are also evident in the persistence of hierarchical thinking and ethno-nationalism, both of which have inhibited open debates about governance, and in the emergence of a distinctively Thai legal culture. Thailand’s governance was re-cast ambitiously in the 1890s, 1932 and 1997. Since 1997, governing Thailand and developing Thailand’s economy have become harder. So political disputes have become more acute and the absence of a national consensus on dispute settlement mechanisms more obvious. Until governance is again re-cast, Thailand’s political instability and cycle of coups will continue. This volume offers contemporary insights and historical context to the general reader, newcomers to Thailand, and students of Thai history, politics and law.

1. Thailand - History. 2. Thailand - Politics and government. 3. Law - Thailand.