Sunday 8 November 2009
By Thitinan Pongsudhirak
guardian.co.uk
The recent hospitalisation of King Bhumibol Adulyadej has brought Thailand's most daunting question to the fore. The country's wrenching political struggle over the past several years has, at bottom, concerned what will happen after the ailing 81-year-old king's reign, now at 63 years, comes to an end.
Thailand's endgame is being shaped by several key events: the military coup of September 2006, the current military-supported constitution and election in 2007, street protests and seizures of Government House and Bangkok's airports in 2008, the army-brokered coalition government of the prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, that has ruled since January this year, and the Bangkok riots in April. At stake is the soul of an emerging Thailand, with far-reaching ramifications for developing democracies elsewhere as well as the broader international community.
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