Thai protests end, but problems persist

By Frank G. Anderson
Column: Thai Traditions

Published: December 05, 2008

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Nakhonratchasima, Thailand — Some called it a gift to Thailand’s king, who celebrated his 81st birthday on Friday. But it was a strange gift – the dissolution of the government – made possible by a huge political protest coupled with a Constitutional Court decision dissolving the country’s main political party and two of its coalition members.

This combination forced the government and prime minister to step down, which in turn led to the country “inheriting” an interim premier who was seen by pundits as bound to pave the way for yet another puppet regime mandated by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. And that is what many are already saying, “Here we go again.”

The idea that Thailand is donning the mantle of a failed state is frightening. According to reports, several U.S. Congressmen have warned that this is what is happening to Thailand; to wit, that its institutions and government have become so weak they can no longer govern most of the country’s territory. The takeover of the two largest international airports in Thailand by the People’s Alliance for Democracy underscores the possible decline of a nation beloved by most – as well as misunderstood by most – even those who were born there.

Was Thailand’s latest economic calamity – with over a quarter of a million tourists stranded amid an irresolute standoff between pro-government and anti-government factions – merely a recent phenomenon or is it indeed a sign that the Land of Smiles is headed toward a Cambodian or Burmese-style of existence?

Everyone is hoping that it is an aberration, a quirk that will soon correct itself. But the signs have not been good over the long term. Thaksin’s long premiership saddled the country with insurmountable debt, recent political clashes have left foreign tourists and businessmen with a sour taste for Thailand, and increasingly shaky voices are being heard with regard to royal succession.

Thailand’s long drawn-out battles back and forth between democracy and dictatorship have been legion and legend. The usual comment to date has been, “Things will soon settle down and be back to normal.” That may be a crumpled cliché today given the determined standoffs among differing political factions.

Where “normal” in Thailand used to mean “quiet,” that may no longer apply. Things are not likely to turn quiet anytime soon. The prognosis is for yet another weak-kneed pro-Thaksin government entering Parliament with almost no honeymoon before it hits the fan again.

Part of Thailand’s problem is a lack of credible dialogue among different factions involved in the country’s political process. After the 1976 Bangkok massacres, the Thai student body essentially learned that fighting for democracy in Thailand only leads to death.

The fact that civics is not much of a subject in the country’s educational institutions tells a lot about what the rulers in this 21st century anarchism are willing to allow – or capable of allowing. Of late there was some student participation with the People’s Alliance for Democracy anti-government protests, but they came little and late, following a much more powerful and inherently dangerous participation by the country’s labor unions.

Thailand has historically vacillated between democracy and dictatorship. What usually happens is that a strong central government, reminiscent of Chinese collective control, forces its way to power through democratic processes undermined by such non-democratic practices as coercion, vote-buying, etc. After taking control, the degree of corruption, the absence of give-and-take dialogue among factions, and the traditional feudal mentality that makes it impossible for society to reform, all lead to another coup.

The coup is often preceded and followed by violence against activists. When the coup is over, another make-shift democracy takes its place. Meanwhile trade continues, business interests and corrupt politicians continue to get rich and the exploited continue to be exploited. So is it any wonder that Thailand’s recent 10-year history smacks of a possible break in this vicious cycle?

The now-famous/infamous Suvarnabhumi Airport takeover by protesters is a new chapter in the country’s striving for democracy. Most pundits and observers decry the PAD actions that have led to significant tourism income losses, without bothering to appreciate the fundamental political problems plaguing the country. Such failure to understand the grassroots issues in Thailand – that is, repression and elitism – will only lead to prolonging the nation’s problems.

(Frank G. Anderson is the Thailand representative of American Citizens Abroad. He was a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer to Thailand from 1965-67, working in community development. A freelance writer and founder of northeast Thailand's first local English language newspaper, the Korat Post – www.thekoratpost.com – he has spent over eight years in Thailand "embedded" with the local media. He has an MBA in information management and an associate degree in construction technology. ©Copyright Frank G. Anderson.)