HISTORY & POLITICS
POLITICS
2010
Red Shirt, pro-Thaksin
activists occupy
central Bangkok for
two months; military
crackdown results in
91 deaths.2011
Puea Thai party wins
general election;
Yingluck Shinawatra
becomes Thailand's
fi rst female prime
minister.ship and legal intimidation not seen since the 1970s era of military dic-
tatorships. The government fi led a litany of defamation lawsuits against
individuals, publications and media groups who printed embarrassing
revelations about the Thaksin regime.
After the 2006 ousting of Thaksin, the media managed to retain its
guarantees of press freedoms in the new constitution, but this was a ‘pa-
per promise’ that did little to rescue the press from intimidation, lawsuits
and physical attacks. Sweeping powers to ensure national security, often
invoked against the press, were added to the emergency powers laws that
went into eff ect after the coup.
Press intimidation in Thailand is made easier because of the coun-
try’s lèse majesté laws – causing off ence against the dignity of the mon-
archy – which carries a jail term of between three and 15 years. Often the
media exercises self-censorship with regard to the monarchy, mainly out
of respect for the crown, but also out of fear that political enemies will
fi le lèse majesté charges.
Filing of lèse majesté charges has increased since 2006, mainly against
political rivals, but also against journalists and even average citizens.
Charges have been fi led against a Thai Facebook user who posted a nega-
tive comment about the king and an overseas Thai who posted transla-
tions of a banned book about the king on his blog.
Publications that the government views as presenting an unfl atter-
ing role of the monarchy are often banned. Several critical issues of The
Economistt have been banned since 2006. Internet censorship is also on
the rise and so-called Red Shirt (pro-Thaksin) radio stations based in the
northeast have been shut down by the government.SIGNS OF ELECTIONPreceding an election, Thai candidates paper the roadways and electricity poles with
political billboards and signs. Traditional posters show the candidate posing seriously in
an offi cial uniform but recent trends include ad-like approaches with catchy slogans and
evocative imagery.
Always a trendsetter, Chuvit Kamolvisit, former brothel owner turned political
whistle-blower, won over voters with his 2011 ‘Angry Man’ campaign ads, featuring him
in grimacing and glaring poses expressing frustration and anger with the government.
(Incidentally, one of his fi rst acts in offi ce was to expose an illegal Bangkok casino run by
high-ranking police.)
Residents complain about the signs’ obstruction of traffi c but signmakers like the
boost in business. All candidate posters are vulnerable to vandalism or theft, but the
plastic ones are particularly desired as a makeshift sunshade or roof patch.DREAMSTIME ©» Red-shirt protesters at Democracy Monument, Bangkok