Understanding Political Instability in Thailand: Constitutionalism and Coups d’États
Since 1932, Thailand has been the stage of regular coups d’états and constitutional changes, with the most recent in May 2014.
The relationships between the military, judges and the monarchy, which form their own state within the larger state, can partly explain this chaotic political history. In addition to this, two systems of legitimacy confront each other: one that stems directly from elections, and one which purports to be based upon a code of ethics, with each one reflecting the interests of different social strata.
Article published in Politique étrangère, Vol. 79, No. 3, Fall 2014