The sit-in at Thailand's main airport seems to be coming to a close. But the country remains deeply troubled. In many ways this should be surprising. Thailand was never colonised, has been relatively prosperous, and has a strong civic tradition rooted in its revered monarchy. Nonetheless the country is historically unstable - a coup, on average, every 3 years. And its been getting worse. William Barnes has just put up an article giving the full background - and arguing that, while Thailand's disgraced billionaire former Manchester City Owner and ex-leader Thaksin might be banned fr the country, he is still behind the country's turmoil. Barnes writes:
Despite exile, disgrace and numerous corruption verdicts, a Thaksin-backed party has trounced its opponents in every election so far this century. Thaksin might be loathed. But his critics simply can't match the mix of grandiose talk about "a better, bigger future for the suffering villager" and populist policies like village grants, loans to small businesses and cheap healthcare that cemented his appeal among poorer Thais.Read the article here, and, if you fancy, leave comments or questions for William below. As usual he will follow up on any queries if you ask nicely.
