Thailand in 2008: Democracy and Street Politics

Summary

The UDD protesters are Thais like us, but they are just misled. For this reason, please just beat them until they are unable to walk, not beat them to death.

Captain Songklod Chuenchupol PAD weapons trainer Bangkok Post, 7 September 2008

Now my daughter asks me what happened to make the formerly peaceful PAD protests turn so disgusting and ugly…Thailand is wrecked, brought down by those who claim to love their nation and their King. When will Thailand become a peaceful country again…?

Letter to the Editor Bangkok Post, 30 November 2008

Let's imagine that the government failed — What would become of Thailand? The politics on the street will follow for years to come. What will we teach our children? How can we look the foreigners in the eyes and say we are a civilized country? We will get poorer and poorer by the day and ordinary crimes will increase. And able people will shun politics as a career — leave it to mad dogs. People will come to our land and look at us not with admiration but pity. Is this what we want?

Internet comment on a Bangkok Post story, 27 August 2008

The year 2008 was yet another eventful year for Thai democracy. With yet another new constitution and more new institutions, to go along with a deeply divided society, it was certain to prove a challenging time. Red shirt and yellow shirt demonstrators came into confrontation on several occasions, culminating in a takeover of both of Bangkok's airports by the yellow shirts, leaving hundreds of thousands of tourists stranded. While the protestors eventually left peacefully, there can be no doubt that the year saw a weakening of all major institutions. Thailand also faces a difficult period for the economy, and some challenges in foreign relations. We begin by outlining the divisions in society, with a brief look backward, to clarify the origins and the depth of the divide in Thai society.