Legitimacy Crisis in Thailand

Intense political and ideological polarization has characterized the Thai state and society in the wake of the coup of 2006. Conflicts centre on the legitimacy of institutions and the uses and abuses of power alongside the parallel crisis of state legitimacy posed by the ongoing violence in the country's Deep South. This collection of essays explores themes and issues arising from the polarization that has dominated Thailand's domestic affairs and impacted its international relations in the years 2008 to early 2010. Based on extensive research and documentation, this volume offers an important review and analysis of key events in Thailand's volatile political affairs during this period. Bringing together essays by Thai specialists as well as Western scholars in the region on key topics connected to Thailand's current legitimacy crisis, the book concludes with an insightful analysis of the key challenges facing the country politically, institutionally and economically. Marc Askew is senior fellow in anthropology at the University of Melbourne, Australia. He is the author ofPerforming Political Identity: The Democrat Party in Southern Thailand.

Marc Askew is Senior Fellow in Anthropology in the School of Philosophy, Anthropology and Social Inquiry, University of Melbourne. During 2008-09, he was Distinguished Senior Research Fellow at King Prajadhipok's Institute. His current research focuses on the dynamics of conflict in Thailand's southern border provinces. In addition to chapters, journal and newspaper articles, his recent publications include Conspiracy, Politics and a Disorderly Border: The Struggle to Comprehend Insurgency in Thailand's Deep South (2007) and Performing Political Identity: The Democrat Party in Southern Thailand (2008).