Thailand: Minimally stable, minimally democratic

This article, forming part of this volume’s effort to map the qualities of democracy in Asia, describes Thailand (as of mid-2011) as a formal democracy devoid of each of the ‘qualities’ that promote democracy’s full realization. Aside from offering an overall descriptive assessment, the article seeks to explain the relationship between the various qualities of democracy observed in Thailand over the past decade. While Thaksin Shinawatra’s tenure in office (2001–2006) offers a compelling illustration for the proposition that ‘not all good things go together,’ virtually every dimension of the ‘goodness’ or ‘quality’ of Thailand’s democracy has experienced a generalized decline since Thaksin’s ousting in 2006.