New book: Thailand Unhinged by Federico Ferrara
February 9, 2010
Thailand Unhinged: Unraveling the Myth of a Thai-Style Democracy offers a trenchant analysis of Thai politics and society over the tumultuous years that followed the ouster of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Thailand’s ongoing political crisis is explained through the prism of the country’s painful post-absolutist history – a history marred by the systematic sabotage of any meaningful democratic development, the routine hijacking of democratic institutions, and the continued suffocation of the Thai people’s democratic aspirations orchestrated by an unelected ruling class in an increasingly desperate attempt to hold on to its power.
The book includes scathing critiques of both Thaksin’s administration as well as the military-backed government that came to power in late 2008, following the week-long siege of the country’s busiest airports staged by the “yellow shirts” of the People’s Alliance for Democracy. The essays are written in a provocative, confrontational style – making Thailand Unhinged a decidedly unconventional mix of academic scholarship, literary journalism, and radical pamphleteering.
About the Author
FEDERICO FERRARA (PhD, Harvard University) works as Assistant Professor of Political Science at the National University of Singapore. He will be joining the City University of Hong Kong’s Department of Asian and International Studies in 2010. |
Posted by facthai
Filed in Banned books, Civil liberties, Democracy, English, Google nation, Human Rights, Information Society, Law and regulations, Media censorship, Media Spin, News, Patani & Disputed Territory, Police Powers, Politics การเมือง, Printing Act, Surveillance
February 16, 2010 at 16:28
[…] he helped get this out. In addition, I want to thank BangkokPundit, the guys at New Mandala, and Freedom Against Censorship Thailand for calling attention to the book; an especially big thanks goes to BangkokDan […]
March 8, 2010 at 19:40
I was reading an article “Political Economy of Monarchy and Democracy” by an Austrian economist. It strikes me towards the end of the article that a monarch’s attempt to monopolize justice and peacemaking is highly relevant to the broader theory behind the events described in Thailand Unhinged. See http://mises.org/daily/4068
July 18, 2010 at 0:25
Read the book, it started out interesting but too many other books and articles are quoted including newspapers as if they are a reliable and educated source. I mean yes, Chris Baker and his partner wrote many good books but they stayed neutral. This writer becomes hateful and venomous halfway, it appears he has an ax to sharpen. To again milk the sex industry makes it definitely boring especially quoting books from dubious Expats who seems to have nothing else to do than frequenting watering holes and prostitutes. The writer is a eager to present a new book on Thailand but it failed (for me) because it is a bundle of quotes from others (as if this makes it more valuable) with a mean streak. I give this book a poor 5.5 out of 10, maybe the writer should come and live in Thailand before attempting to criticize something he knows little about, first hand that is. Another academic trying to proof himself? Try to read “Inside Thai Society” from Neils Mulder, it will make you understand the difference in observing and expressing ….
FYI, I live and work in Thailand since 35 years, run my own successful business with many Thai staff, married to a Thai lady since 24 years and speak fluent Thai hence my comments..