A kingdom in crisis : Thailand's struggle for democracy in 21st century
Marshall, Andrew MacGregor201410UU
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A fascinating, engaged account of a country on the brink of change. Struggling to emerge from a despotic past, and convulsed by an intractable conflict that will determine its future, Thailand stands at a defining moment in its history. Scores have been killed on the streets of Bangkok. Freedom of speech is routinely denied. Democracy appears increasingly distant. Long dreaded by Thais, the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej is expected to unleash even greater instability. Yet in spite of the impact of the crisis, and the extraordinary importance of the royal succession, they have never been comprehensively analyzed, because Thailand's draconian lese majeste law has silenced most discussion - until now. Veteran foreign correspondent Andrew MacGregor Marshall is the only journalist covering contemporary Thailand who has taken the decision to break Thai law and tell the whole story. In this book he provides a comprehensive explanation that makes sense of the crisis for the first time, revealing the unacknowledged succession conflict that has become entangled with the struggle for democracy in Thailand. Besides shedding light on Thailand's divisions, Marshall provides the only detailed discussion of the looming succession available in the public domain. It is essential reading for anybody wanting to know what is happening in 21st century Thailand, and what the future holds.Review: 'An explosive analysis that lays bare what the Thai elite has tried to keep hidden for decades. A clear-eyed view of what is really at stake in Thailand's continuing turmoil.' David Streckfuss, author of Truth on Trial in Thailand: Defamation, Treason, and Lese-Majeste. 'A timely and highly readable account of the grim political reality of the "Land of Smiles". An essential primer for every visitor.' Joe Studwell, author of Asian Godfathers and How Asia Works 'Andrew MacGregor Marshall has written perhaps the best introduction yet to the roots of Thailand's present political impasse, He explains how an aspect of the crisis whose importance many analysts in Thailand and overseas have an interest in minimising--the looming succession in the Thai royal family--is in fact central. A brilliant book that could perhaps have been written only by somebody who knows Thailand so well he knew he had to leave the country to write it.' Simon Long, Banyan Columnist, The Economist 'Finally someone says the unsayable. A must-read for observers of Thai politics' Pavin Chachavalpongpun, associate professor at Centre for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University 'A brilliant, incisive rewriting of Thailand's history and monarchy. An instant classic that promises to permanently change the conversation, both inside and outside the country.' Christine Gray, anthropologist and pioneering analyst of Thailand's monarchy.
Main title:
A kingdom in crisis : Thailand's struggle for democracy in 21st century / Andrew MacGregor Marshall.
Author:
Imprint:
London : Zed Books Ltd : [distributor] NBN International Ltd : [distributor] Blue Weaver Marketing & Distribution cc : [distributor] Macmillan(US), 2014.
Collation:
248 p. ; 22x14x2 cm.
Series:
Asian arguments
Notes:
Paperback.
Contents:
Prologue. These People Live in an Alternate Reality: the Battle over Truth in Thailand 1. Nothing More Than Jargon: The Struggle for Democracy 2. A Positive Danger to the Country: Siam's Destabilizing Succession Conflicts 3. Living in Horrifying Times: Making Sense of Thailand's 21st Century Crisis 4. A Watershed Moment in Thai History: What the Future Holds.
Biography/History:
Andrew MacGregor Marshall is a journalist, political risk consultant and corporate investigator, focusing mainly on Southeast Asia. Born in Scotland in 1971, he studied literature and economics at Cambridge University and spent 17 years as a correspondent for Reuters, covering conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Lebanon, the Palestinian Territories and East Timor, and political upheaval in Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Myanmar and Israel. Marshall resigned from Reuters in controversial circumstances in June 2011 after the news agency refused to publish his analysis of leaked U.S. cables illuminating the role played by Thailand's monarchy in the political conflict that has engulfed the kingdom. Now a fugitive from Thai law as a result of his journalism about the royal family, he lives in Singapore with his Thai wife and a half-Thai son, Charlie.
ISBN:
9781783600571 (pbk)1783600578 (pbk)
Dewey class:
320.959309051
Language:
English
BRN:
2101723
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