top of page
Sep 17, 20205 min read

Why are Thai protests challenging the monarchy?

By: Gargi Rakhade



With only 12 out of 19 military coups successful since 1932, Thailand has faced decades of political instability. In 88 years, the government, military, and monarchy have yet to deliver substantial political change to the Thai people. With frustration only mounting, it comes to no surprise that currently, Thailand is facing its largest, and boldest protests since the 2014 military coup. These wide-scale protests have taken place in almost every Thai Province, such as in the capital city Bangkok when 10,000 protestors ironically showed up at a monument built to commemorate the end of the 1932 Thai monarchy. Considering that this same monarchy continues to have an overwhelming amount of power in Thailand today, the Thai people are relentless in ensuring that they can finally have political change.


How is the Thai government set up?

  • Thailand abolished its absolute monarchy in 1932and was supposed to function as a constitutional monarchy. This means that they have a king and a functioning parliament that makes the legislative decisions.

  • The current monarch King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s has been Thailand's reigning monarch for 70 years. Under the constitution, he is not supposed to interfere in Thai politics, however, he has consolidated his power through the military junta.

  • Although Thailand has tried to have a successful election most, if not all of them, have resulted in some sort of military coup.

    • In 2001 voters elected businessman Thaksin Shinawatra. He was ousted by the military in 2006

    • Thaksin’s sister Yingluck was elected in 2011. Her government was deposed in 2014 in a coup led by the retired general Prayuth Chan-Ocha.

  • The current prime minister is Prayuth Chan-Ocha, the same general who led the military coup, showing the very clear over-involvement of the Thai military in politics.


How has the new constitution been allowed for the consolidation of power?

The 20th (and current constitution of Thailand was enacted in April of 2017. It was written by the military generals’ proxies in a constitution drafting committee, and it took three years and billions of dollars to write. The Junta (which is a government-led committee of military leaders) essentially cemented its, and the monarchies power in this constitution, and here are some key things it highlights:

  • The Junta military still have absolute power during elections and formations of the new administration

  • All past and future orders and announcements of the junta or the junta leader have the force of law under the new constitution

  • With a majority of the lower house, a Prime Minister candidate who is not a member of any political party can be proposed to parliament.

  • The Senate is appointed, not elected, and it has been handpicked by the junta.

The Junta military and Monarchy have an interdependent relationship: they both protect each other and keep each other in positions of power. The military protects and keeps the king in power under the guise of national security, and in turn, the king ensures the military's power in politics and civilian affairs. Considering this, the current constitution not only consolidates the power of the junta over political issues but also strengthens the monarch's role in the government as well.


Why exactly are the Thai people protesting the monarchy?

  • Crackdown on competitors: In March of 2019, the military Junta set up elections, and people, especially the youth, felt they could truly make a change in Thai politics. The pro-democracy Future Forward Party (FFP) and its leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit won the third-largest share of seats. They were incredibly popular with more progressive, youth voters. However, in February 2020, the party was forced to disband by the junta military, supposedly because of a loan issue, but in reality, because the Junta felt the real threat the FPP had on their overarching power in the Thai political scene. Protesters started taking to the streets after this, but because the pandemic was just hitting, these protests gradually lost their momentum, before they picked up their pace once more in July.

  • The kidnapping of pro-democracy activists: In June 2019, protests ramped up once more after Wanchalerm Satsaksit, a prominent Thai pro-democracy activist, suddenly disappeared off the street. People claim that it was the Thai government that orchestrated his kidnapping. He is the ninth exiled critic of Thailand's military and monarchy to become a victim of enforced disappearance in recent years.

  • Constitution: The revised constitution enforces the powers of both the military and the monarchy, and ensures for both of them to have almost absolute control. Considering that the Junta and king currently live above the law in Thailand, the protesters want a constitution that puts more checks and balances on them both.

  • Push towards an absolute monarchy by the king: There have been a few ways the king has abused his power. For instance, in July of 2017, the military-appointed legislative assembly amended the royal property law to give the king full control of the Crown Property Bureau, which manages the crown's estimated $30bn fortune, and gives him full control of huge swaths of land in Thailand, allowing him to consolidate a large portion of Thailand's assets under his rule. Or in October of 2019 when the king placed two army units directly under his control, giving the king more protection from the military. The strengthening of both military power and the king's involvement in political and economic affairs is an indication of Vajiralongkorn's intent to push Thailand closer to an absolute monarchy. These unconstitutional actions reveal the kings’ overwhelming power in the government.

  • The concentration of wealth: Because of the social hierarchy and consolidation of power of the wealthy and elite in Thailand, there is an overarching wealth gap in the country, with the top 1% owning nearly 50.4% of Thailand's wealth. Because of the lack of distribution of wealth, the general Thai population has been faced with stagnating wages, and rising poverty, debt, and inequality. Furthermore, with the COVID-19 pandemic, 14.4 million people are projected to lose their job by December of this year.

  • Clampdown on freedoms of expression: The government has not only silenced media outlets and reporters who have actively criticized them, by spreading the message of “fake news", but many of these reporters have also gone missing. Furthermore, the constitution prohibits the criticization of the Thai monarchy and could result in a prison sentence of up to 15 years.

  • Protest crackdown: considering the amount of power the military and subsequent law enforcement in Thailand hold, it's no surprise that the crackdown on these peaceful protests has been brutal. At least six pro-democracy activists were arrested during these protests on charges of sedition, which is simply speech that aims to criticize the government and call reforms to action, yet is a crime that can carry a seven-year prison sentence. Protestors are getting detained left and right, and these harsh crackdowns are only further contributing to the rise of these protests.


Thailand's long history with coups and protests has left us unsurprised that they are back out on the street. But while protests in the past have always led to brutal crackdowns, these protests are different. Not only do they continue to rise in the numbers, but they’re also incredibly widespread and address the problem at its core. These protests are calling for checks on the king's power, something which is deemed bold in a country like Thailand, where freedom of expression is so heavily clamped down. These protests aren’t only for governmental change, they’re for the protection of Thailand's democracy, and protests are not planning on stopping until the people get the democratic rights they deserve.


Discussion Questions:

  • Will the Thai protests be successful?

  • Will the police brutality in Thailand's protests escalate?

  • What do Thailand's protests mean for the current Thai government?

  • What should the international community do to aid Thai protests?


Sources Used:


Further reading:



Comments

bottom of page