thai elite



STORY OF THE DAY • Aug 27, 2021 • 8 min read

Analysis Top-secret list shadows Thailand’s never-ending battle against its ‘enemies’

By Mark S. Cogan • Aug 27, 2021
This month, a top-secret document emerged in Thailand. It revealed not only a list of 183 people deemed enemies of Prayut's military-backed government – among them a monk, a journalist and two 15-year-old girls – but also a paranoid state's long-standing urge to purge 'unThai' elements

STORY OF THE DAY • Jun 29, 2021 • 11 min read

Thai democracy Amid politics and pandemic, Thai democracy movement attempts revival

By Wanpen Pajai • Jun 29, 2021
By late 2020, the Thai pro-democracy movement looked set to bring about major changes. But in the months since, legal warfare from authorities and a public health crisis has ground protests to a halt. Now, activists are returning to the streets, but is momentum gone?

May 21, 2021 • 8 min read
Analysis

In Thailand, May is the month for coups, crackdowns, and villains

May is a month with a dark recent history in Thailand, from the 1992 Black May events that would see 52 people lose their lives in protests against strongman Suchinda Kraprayoon, to the 2014 coup d'etat that brought Prayut Chan-o-cha to power
By Mark S. Cogan • May 21, 2021

Mar 09, 2021 • 12 min read
Analysis

Is it time to bring Thailand’s illicit gambling industry into the light?

As Thailand's illicit gambling industry has become associated with virus outbreaks in recent months, discussion has started again about the potential benefits of bringing this murky and widespread industry out of the shadows and under government control
By Wanpen Pajai • Mar 09, 2021

Mar 04, 2021 • 7 min read
Analysis

Thailand and Myanmar’s militaries get cozy, but at what cost?

The outsized roles played by the Thai and Myanmar militaries in the affairs of their respective countries has led to a close bond between the two. Now, the Myanmar coup has brought them closer than ever – but at what cost to Thailand's standing at home and abroad?
By Mark S. Cogan • Mar 04, 2021

Feb 23, 2021 • 7 min read
History

What lessons can we learn from Thailand’s 1991 coup?

On this day in 1991, Thailand's coup-happy military staged yet another putsch that removed civilian premier Chatichai Choonavan. Three decades on, the effects of those events are still felt today, with lessons to be learned for current pro-democracy protestors
By Duncan McCargo • Feb 23, 2021

Feb 11, 2021 • 10 min read
Youth protests

Junta to junta: As Milk Tea Alliance brews in Myanmar, how far can it go?

As scores of people take to the streets across Myanmar, shared symbols and solidarity are growing in Thailand as the movement is welcomed into the Milk Tea Alliance. A growing presence across the region, how far can this youth-led online activist movement spread?
By Wanpen Pajai • Feb 11, 2021

Jan 29, 2021 • 8 min read
Analysis

As lèse majesté cases soar, what does this tell us about the Thai state?

Thailand has seen a surge in lèse majesté cases as the government cracks down on the blossoming pro-democracy movement. But not just a new tactic by current military-affiliated rulers, opposition voices have long been cast as a national security issue in the kingdom
By Mark S. Cogan • Jan 29, 2021

Jan 20, 2021 • 8 min read
Opinion

Why reducing Thailand’s inequality is essential to reducing political tension

With Thailand's youth-led protests rumbling on, in part motivated by the extreme economic hardship experienced among average citizens this past year, Professor Mark S. Cogan argues addressing the kingdom's wealth gap is essential to easing political tension
By Mark S. Cogan • Jan 20, 2021

Dec 16, 2020 • 7 min read
Opinion

Corruption should be the issue that binds Thailand together

Thailand's military generals seized power in 2014 vowing to end the kingdom's endemic corruption, but what has followed has been a weakening of the very institutions needed to combat graft. Professor Mark S. Cogan argues the antidote lays in a thriving democracy
By Mark S. Cogan • Dec 16, 2020