Abstract

The focus of this paper will be on Thailand’s monarchy, particularly during Rama IX’s reign, and its relationship to the Red Shirt movement. In order to understand the role of the monarchy in Thailand's constitutional monarchy, 4 critical moments will be examined with each one revealing the political climate in 4 time periods starting from the mid-1800s and ending in the mid-2010s. This large time span will be divided into four sections. The Absolutism Era, starting from the mid-1800s to 1932, which lays the framework for the Rama kings’ power and Thailand’s constitutional monarchy. The War Era, from 1933 to 1951, is where each of Thailand’s political behemoths would emerge from the internal conflict. The Post-War or Coup Era, ranging from 1958 to 1991, contains both the monarchy’s rise in power, and the implementation of multiple Constitutions and finally the Thaksin Era, beginning in 1994 and ending in 2006, marks the rise of Thaksin Shinawatra, the founder of the Red Shirts, and his conflict with the royal elite.  

    The most important questions are the following: how much power does the monarchy really have over the political climate, what is the driving force behind the Red Shirt movement, and how does the government deal with the Red Shirt movement. While it is already agreed on by the majority of academic scholars who focus on Thailand that the monarchy has an enormous amount of power, it is unknown whether or not the power was seized by the monarchy or given by an outside force. The answer to that question would clarify the core beliefs of the Red Shirt movement, who have been demonized as “unthai” and zealous supporters of Thaksin. The examination of how the Thai government and monarchy deal with opposition will also reveal how the current administration is reacting to the Red Shirt movement.

    Primary sources range greatly depending on the era and event. Sources during the Absolutism Era include letters from Rama IV and translated quotes from  the Thai National archive embedded in many secondary sources. Information on the War Era will be in the form of U.S. diplomatic archive. The Coup Era is particularly troublesome because of the dearth of information released by the Thai government. Sources include oral accounts, Western journals, and a series of introductions by former Prime Ministers Seni and Kukrit Pramoj in Rama IV’s translated letters. The Thaksin Era will use data gathered in the Townsend Thai project to examine the development of Thai villages along with interviews of Thaksin and his sister. There are also many transcribed and translated speeches of Thai officials and Rama IX during this period.

    The secondary sources all agree that Rama IX played a central role in Thai politics since his coronation. However, sources differ on their interpretation of his intent. The two current ideas theorize that either the monarchy had fought and seized power during the Coup Era or the government leaders during the Coup Era had built the image of the king for their own use. The literature also disagrees on the ideology of the Red Shirts. While, some writers believe that the Red Shirts are an extension of Thaksin’s involvement in politics, more recent sources claim that the Red Shirt protesters have evolved beyond a cult of personality to an anti-establishment position.