An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 21 A popular holiday destination for many, thailand is currently governed by a military junta that took power in a coup d'état in May 2014. After months of street battles between opposing political groups, leaders of the pro-reform People's Democratic Reform Committee and their main pro-government opponents, the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (AKA the 'Red Shirts'), attended a meeting at the Royal Thai Army club in Bangkok. This meeting was arranged after the military had imposed martial law and both sides met to discuss the future of the country. Little is known as to what exactly happened at that meeting but when both sides failed to agree, the military announced they were seizing power and detained those in attendance. They later raided a number of houses throughout the city, culminating in the arrest of 200 activists. This is the latest in a long history of coup and counter-coup in Thailand. (Depending on the source it can be somewhere between 30 and 40 transfers of power by force.) Formerly known as Siam, Thailand is centrally located on the Indo- chinese peninsula in Southeast Asia. It covers approximately 513,000 sq kms and has land borders with Myanmar and Laos to the north, Laos and Cambodia to the east, and Malaysia to the south. It shares maritime borders with Vietnam through the Gulf of Thailand, and India and Indonesia to the west through the Andaman Sea. Bangkok is the country's capital and also the political, commercial and industrial centre. The population numbers in the region of 66 million, the majority of whom are ethnically Thai with the remainder consisting of smaller groups of ethnic minorities. In the mid 1990s the country underwent significant economic growth as exports increased. Manufacturing, agriculture and tourism enabled Thailand to become one of the most powerful and attractive places to reside of the 10 countries in the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN). Thailand's current borders were forged during the early years of the 20th century, when the Chakris Dynasty ruled Siam, hemmed in on one side by British India and on others by French Indo-China). Although the Chakris embraced modernisation in an attempt to hold onto power, a group of military personnel and intellectuals launched a bloodless coup in 1932 to overthrow the absolute monarchy. The reduction to a figurehead position led to the abdication of the king in 1935. His replacement was still a child and regents were put in place to perform ceremonial duties. One of the leaders of the 1932 coup, Field Marshal Luang Phibunsongkhram, became prime minister in 1938 at a time of growing nationalism that also saw the change of name from Siam to Thailand. Alliance with Japan led to Phibunsongkhram's downfall at the end of the war but in 1947 another military coup by units loyal to Phibunsongkhram deposed Prime Minister Banomyong and returned Phibunsongkhram to power until 1957 when he was ousted by a another coup d'etat. While many countries experience civil war in the aftermath of a coup, Thailand has remained free of such conflict. Many have put this unusual phenomenon down to the reign of King Rama IX, Bhumibol Adulyadej, which began in 1946. Having spent his early years abroad, King Bhumibol accepted his royal responsibilities and took the care of his subjects very seriously. However, while he gave a somewhat steady hand to day-to-day events in Thailand, the power of the mili- tary and their coups d'etat remained the mainstay of changing power in the country. The Royal Thai Armed forces, as they are collectively known, have a formidable arsenal at their disposal: French helicopters, Swedish Saab jets and Erieye airborne warning systems; APCs and tanks from the Ukraine; and Israeli 155mm self-propelled artillery, Tar-21 bullpup assault rifles and Negev light machine guns. Their naval capacity con- sists of stealth frigates, an aircraft carrier and a number of smaller patrol vessels, purchased from Korea, China, the UK, and Singapore. In recent years the country's defence budget has risen from $5.4 billion in 2013 to $6 billion in 2014 and this send is set to continue. The recent rise in Thailand's economy has been uneven with those in and around Bangkok benefiting the most. Increased wealth has ac- celerated urbanisation, pushing out many of those who resided on the outskirts of the city. This creation of an unequal society has brought protests onto the streets of the capital, as the ruling elite and the industrialists reap the profits, marginalising the ordinary people. A class struggle developed in recent years with ex-policeman and businessman, Thaksin Shinawatra, endearing himself to people in the north and east of the country and leading to his election. After his government was toppled in 2006 Shinawatra was sent into exile. It was at this time that the pro-Shinawatra Red Shirts and anti-Shi- nawatra Yellow Shirts began to take part in violent demonstrations that lasted sporadically until the takeover of the current military junta under General Prayuth Chan-ocha. Despite its turbulent history and recent troubles, huge numbers of people still travel to this bus- tling Asian country to experience an oriental adventure and sample the best of what the region has to offer, mainly oblivious to the fact that the stability of Thailand, was, is, and for the foreseeable future will be, balanced on a knife edge. Royal Thai Armed Forces during the coup d'état on 22nd May 2014.

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