The Journey(s) of Ian

The Kingdom of Thailand is a constitutional monarchy, with a free and democratic government—that is what the constitution says. The Head of State is the King of Thailand, King Rama IX, as he is usually referred to in the west. Under him there is an executive consisting of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, an elected parliament, and an independent judiciary. In accordance with the Thai constitution, which requires an election every four years, an election is currently underway in Thailand. On Sunday, the 3rd of July, the people of Thailand will elect a new government.  The modern Thai government structure dates back to 1932 when an unlikely combination of traditional aristocrats and a westernised upper middle-class Bangkok group compelled the Thai King to agree to a written, democratic constitution, which moved Thailand (Siam, as it was then known) from an autocracy to a democracy. All well and good, however, peace and domestic tranquility was not to ensure. Since that date there have...

Here we are now, back in Bangkok. I spent the day walking the streets of the city of Bangkok, in the 'better' areas of the town (Sukhumvit), and around the Parliament House. What I saw was an immense number of Red Shirts in cars, in trucks, on motor bikes, and walking along the street. All with the aim of protesting what they see as the inadequate and unrepresentative current Thai government. I did speak to one Thai man, who spoke good English, who explained to me what he saw the problem to be. The current government, the "Yellow Shirts", represent the Thai elites, based in the city of Bangkok, and ignore the wishes and needs or the poorer folk who do the work in Thailand. He also spoke of the history of the long struggle Thailand had to attain democracy, something he still does not feel that Thailand enjoys. He wants to see Thailand governed by a democratic and representative government. Noble aims. And what seems surprising, is that thing...