Amnesia: A History of Democratic Idealism in Modern Thailand

Thailand's monarchy and military have dominated the narrative of the country's modern history, and their leadership is often accepted as evidence of a cultural preference for authoritarianism. Despite a long history of military coups that have upended the course of the country's democracy, however, Thailand's democratic history is a vital though largely ignored aspect of modern Thai society. Based on extensive archival research, Amnesia delves into the social and political beginnings of Thai democracy and explains how a bloodless revolution against the monarchy in 1932 introduced a constitutional democracy and ignited enduring hopes for a fairer society and a more representative government. The "People's Party," a small group of commoners who staged the revolution in the name of democracy, found an enthusiastic audience for their bold populist rhetoric among wide swathes of society. In Amnesia, Arjun Subrahmanyan illustrates how the idealism of the first decade of Thai democracy, now largely forgotten, still shapes Thai society.

Author: Arjun Subrahmanyan
Publisher: State University of New York Press
Published: 07/02/2022
Pages: 307
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.00lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.69d
ISBN13: 9781438486505
ISBN10: 1438486502
BISAC Categories:
- History | Asia | Southeast Asia
- Political Science | World | Asian
- Social Science | Ethnic Studies | Asian Studies

About the Author
Arjun Subrahmanyan is Senior Lecturer in Southeast Asian History at Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia.

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