Thaksin Shinawatra and the reshaping of Thai politics |
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Authors: | Kevin Hewison |
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Affiliation: | Carolina Asia Center, CB#7582 FedEx Global Education Center , University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill , NC , 27599 , USA |
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Abstract: | Twice elected prime minister of Thailand at the head of his Thai Rak Thai Party, telecommunications magnate Thaksin Shinwatra was controversial in office. Since his government was overthrown by a September 2006 military coup backed by the palace, conservatives, and a broad coalition of opponents, Thaksin has remained at the centre of Thailand's continuing political turmoil. This paper examines his political legacy, both in its positive and negative forms, through a focus on the nature of political parties and electoral policies in Thailand; the role of business interests in politics; the impact of Thaksin's politics on political activism and mobilisation; populism, social welfare, and the reaction of the middle class to welfare politics; Thaksin's confrontation with the elite and the monarchy; and the developing judicialisation of politics. |
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Keywords: | Thaksin Shinawatra Thailand monarchy Thai Rak Thai Party democracy judicialisation |
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