Following the massive political demonstration that had shut down most government agencies in Bangkok since the end of 2013, on May 22, 2014, the Thai military launched a coup in an attempt to break the deadlock. Coup leaders vowed to solve the political impasse and reform the country. Several political and economic challenges lie ahead.

This article analyzes the results of Thailand’s 2011 election in the context of the prior six years of political turmoil. It argues that the election was a landmark in restoring the prospects for electoral democracy in Thailand.

This article argues that a more nuanced understanding is needed of the social composition of the redshirt protests in Bangkok from March-May 2010. Based on extensive interviews and survey research, the paper argues that many redshirts were “urbanized villagers” with lower middle class income levels and aspirations.

Thailand's adoption of a new constitution in 1997 was meant to advance far-reaching reforms in the country's democratic development. A decade later, it is clear that these constitutional reforms failed. The Constitution unintentionally consolidated Prime Minister Thaksin's grip on power and indirectly precipitated the conditions for the 2006 coup. This article argues that the drafters' search for a more stable democratic government helped produce an electoral authoritarian regime that triggered the military to intervene.

The year began with a prime minister elected with the largest margin of victory in Thai history. The year ended with the prime minister in exile, the military in power, and, according to polls, most people satisfied with the coup. The coup marked a setback for democracy and for all major political institutions.