Critically Assess the Challenges Facing Thailand

Critically assess the challenges facing Thailand

Word Count - 3,217

In its recent history Thailand has had to deal with numerous internal and external issues. Despite some of these issues now being resolved, contemporary Thailand has to deal with new challenges and issues, which will be discussed in this essay. This piece will examine the internal and external challenges Thailand has faced, will face, and may possibly face in the near future. This essay will first look at the internal political crisis Thailand and what challenges the military coup has created. This piece will also analyze the financial crisis of 1997, and how Thailand’s economy suffered, but has since recovered to an extent. Finally, this essay will assess the challenges Thailand faces outside its borders, including the Preah Temple and narcotics problems.

        Before analysing the challenges facing contemporary Thailand, it is important to examine the brief history of the country and its demography. Thailand is home to approximately 66 million people, and its GDP per capita is $8,700. Thailand is perhaps one of the most economically developed areas in Southeast Asia, relying heavily on exports and tourism. Formerly known as Siam, Thailand is a constitutional monarchy, in which the governing powers of the monarch are restricted by a constitution. Thailand’s current monarch is Bhumibol Adulyadej [also known as Rada XI] and is the longest-serving head of state in the world, having ruled Thailand since 1946. Thailand’s monarchy goes as far back as the 13th century, when in 1238 the Kingdom of Sukothai was founded by King Ramkamhaeng.^[1] The strong Buddhist culture is perhaps indebted to Ramkamhaeng, who introduced Buddhism to this kingdom. Sukothai was later replaced by the Kingdom of Ayutthaya in 1351, founded by King Ramathibodhi I. Throughout this period, Siam remained a strong state in the Southeast Asia region, and while other kingdoms in the 19th century were taken over by the Dutch, British and French, Siam retained its independence and is still the only Southeast Asia country never to have been taken over by a European power.^[2] The monarchy had absolute power until a bloodless coup in 1932, leading to the current constitutional monarchy and in 1939, Siam was renamed Thailand – “The Land of the Free.”^[3] Since the political reform and end of absolute monarchy in 1932, Thailand has been politically unstable. Thailand has had 18 constitutions and charters with forms of government ranging from military dictatorship to electoral democracy. Furthermore, in that time period Thailand has held 25 general elections and 19 coup d’états, 12 of which have been successful. Its most recent coup was as recent as May 2014, which resulted in former army Chief Prayut Chan-o-cha becoming Prime Minister.