Word: thaksin
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Dates: during 2010-2019
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...military's] owners are the nation and the King." Under Thailand's constitution, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, a constitutional monarch, is commander in chief, although he does not appear to involve himself directly in military affairs. Two months after Prem's speech, the army ousted elected Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a bloodless coup. Over the past several weeks, the protesters on the streets of Bangkok demanding that Abhisit dissolve parliament and call new elections have been, by and large, Thaksin supporters, known as the Red Shirts for the color they wear, who want him back. (Read a TIME...
...While the coup against Thaksin came as a surprise because there hadn't been one in 14 years, military ousters have been commonplace throughout modern Thai history. The military has staged 18 successful coups since 1932, when a group of army officers and intellectuals overthrew the last absolute monarch. Since then, the military has ruled overtly or has influenced politics from behind the scenes. In May 1992, Bangkok's middle class rose up against a general who usurped power following an election in which he was not a candidate. Soldiers responded with deadly force. King Bhumibol intervened...
...about every election since 1992. Military personnel are part of the patronage networks of leading politicians, whose influence they rely upon to advance their careers in the armed forces. This provides incentive for soldiers to try to influence political outcomes. The most blatant example of such patronage came when Thaksin appointed his cousin as army chief in 2003. That move sparked a backlash among soldiers who were not part of Thaksin's patronage network. They feared the army would become a political tool for the Prime Minister, who was known for his inability to tolerate dissent. In 2006, top generals...
...unlikely that Abhisit will heed the protesters' demand for a snap election, not least because every election since the 2001 ballot that swept in Thaksin has favored the reds. At any rate, the Prime Minister has until 2011 to hold polls and doing so right now - in the wake of a global financial crisis and before his own populist reforms have had time to take full effect - would likely mean career suicide. Meantime, his reluctance to travel widely in Isaan - the impoverished northeastern farm belt where Thaksin's support is strongest - because of safety concerns makes Abhisit look even further...
...black magic, which dates back to Thailand's pre-Buddhist past, might seem like the domain of superstitious peasants. But last year, yellow-shirt leader and media mogul Sondhi Limthongkul placed sanitary napkins soaked with menstrual blood around a Bangkok monument as part of a spell designed to vanquish Thaksin. Many locals seem to believe that witchcraft will be just as influential in driving the course of Thai politics as good governance or normal political dissent. In the end, that may be the true curse of Thailand's politics...