From Political Reform and Economic Crisis to Coup d'éétat in Thailand: The Twists and Turns of the Political Economy, 1997––2006

Political reform and the Asian financial crisis set the pretexts for the Thai political crisis. The financial crisis spawned certain big businesses that survived the economic downturn, while the 1997 Constitution eased their ability to make political inroads. In the end, Thaksin's business-centered administration so disrupted the traditional bases of society and government that it was overthrown by a coup d'éétat in 2006.