The Beginning of Liberalism in Thailand: Dan Beach Bradley and Bangkok Recorder (original) (raw)

An Early History of Liberalism in Thailand

Official Link (Waseda University Repository): https://waseda.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=pages\_view\_main&active\_action=repository\_view\_main\_item\_detail&item\_id=47549&item\_no=1&page\_id=13&block\_id=21

In search of liberalism: Ideological traditions, translations, and troubles in Thailand

Sojourn: Journal of Social Issues in Southeast Asia, 2017

The history of political thought in Southeast Asia has overwhelmingly focused on nationalism and socialism/Marxism. Little has been written about the fate of liberalism in the region. This is in stark contrast with the literature that in recent years has emerged on liberal political thought in South Asian and East Asian contexts. Seeking to make a Southeast Asian contribution to this literature, this article asks: Is there liberalism in Thailand? To answer the question, it surveys the existing literature on Thai political thought; outlines the history of the reproduction of the Western liberal canon in Thai translation; and takes stock of contemporary political debates. What does it find? First, that while one might find liberals in Thai history, there is no liberalism. Second, that serious intellectual engagement with liberal political thought occurs comparatively late and remains modest in Thailand, but that Thai politics nevertheless has been stalked by the spectre of Rousseau for more than eight decades. Third, and finally, that some Thai intellectual historians and other writers have responded to the country’s recent political troubles – in the form of increasing political polarization, intractable and often violent conflict, two military coups, and the ill health and subsequent death of King Bhumibol – by laying the intellectual groundwork for a liberal form of Thai nationalism.

Thailand's Political History... Chapter 14

In this final chapter of Thailand's Political History (published by River Books in 2011) some of the difficulties and restrictions facing those writing about Thailand's past are discussed.

Some Observations on Democracy in Thailand

Hong Kong: Southeast Asia Research Centre, City University of Hong Kong. (Working Paper Series No. 125) , 2012

Thailand's political system, similar to other sub-systems of the Thai social formation, 1 is often seen as being a hybrid, which means that it includes both authoritarian and democratic elements. 2 Contrary to the usual assumptions found in the literature on transitions to and consolidation of democracy, 3 political systems with hybrid characteristics can be understood "as alternative directions, not way stations to liberal democracy." However, this does not mean that such countries "are doomed never to achieve well-functioning liberal democracy" (Carothers 2002:14, 17; for a similar position, see Merkel 2004). Scholars working on the history of democratization in Europe note that this was not, "a process that was achieved in single moments of wholesale regime transition but rather [has to be seen] as a protracted and punctuated 'one institution at a time' process … it is crucial to emphasize that the complex institutional configuration of democracies rarely emerges all at once. On the contrary, different institutions often emerge at different times, often for different reasons" (Capoccia and Ziblatt 2010:940). In other words, even the "established" democracies of contemporary Europe have a past in which they often looked like present-day hybrid systems. Indeed, one may say that Thailand is a good illustration of the benefits of an approach that, "conceptualizes democratization as an inherently long-run chain of linked episodes of struggles and negotiations over institutional change" (ibid.:957; italics in the original). 4

Prominent Thai Pol Thinkers for academic purpose

Thanapol (Lamduan) Chadchaidee, 2002

The year 1932 is very important in the history of Thailand. It opened the gates for the democratic political process. The royal courtiers and then existing elite were replaced by a new structure consisting of civil service and military officers. They had a new zeal and set of ideas about the development of Thailand. Dr. Thanapol Chadchaidee has selected to study the process of political change since 1932. He hadmade the case study of: 1) the late Dr. Pridi Banomyong (1900-1983), 2) the late Prime Minister Kukrit Pramoj (1911-1995), 3) the late Professor Dr. Chai-Anan Samudavanija (1944-2018) and 4) former Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai (1938 to present). These are the key figures in this period. They have made decisive impact on the Thai political system in order to make it more democratic. Dr. Thanapol has explained their role in changing the nature of the Thai political process. Dr. Thanapol's work is unique and original and perhaps the first of its kind in the academic field of Thailand. Dr. Thanapol has tried his best to give justice to these four key politicians and made an important contribution in this field. I hope that this book will be useful to students and academicians in Thailand as well as abroad. It seems that Dr. Thanapol has become a very useful bridge between India and Thailand.