Thailand Under the Junta

The recent series of coordinated bombings that rocked several of Thailand’s popular tourist spots occurred amid an atmosphere of heightened tension within the country. Years of political unrest, the rise of the military junta, and a roll-back of democratic liberties have complicated the process of discerning who perpetrated the attacks and why. As of now, the attack remains unclaimed, and authorities and analysts alike are unsure who the most likely culprits are: anti-junta protestors or insurgents from the country’s Muslim separatist movement in the South. As the country is struggling to return to democracy, its relationship with the U.S. is in flux.

The junta that has ruled the country since May of 2014 is the 12^th in Thailand’s history. Led by Commander of the Royal Thai Army Prayut Chan-o-cha, it came to power after a sustained period of political unrest that followed the ousting of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in the 11^th coup d’etat of 2006.  Shinawatra, whose powerbase lies in Thailand’s rural north, became influential by wresting power from Bangkok’s elites who had dominated Thai politics.  After his removal from power, the period from 2006 to 2014 was marked by political turmoil as power shifted among the military, the traditional Bangkok elites, and Shinawatra’s Pheu Thai Party.