Abstract
In Thailand the election of the Thai Rak Thai (TRT) in 2001 led by Thaksin Shinawatra and its subsequent consolidation of electoral power in the 2005 election with a stunning landslide victory signalled a significant transformation of Thai politics.1 As a political party, the TRT represents an intriguing combination of conflicting political and economic elements. This involved: the pursuit of nationalist policies while being committed to a broad range of neo liberal policies; and a strong authoritarian streak combined with mastery of the electoral process and led by one of Thailand’s richest businessmen yet who has appealed to poor farmers and urban voters with an attractive range of social policies (Hewison 2005).2 These factors have served to change the fundamental character of Thai politics. But the question of how and why this amalgam of political elements came together remains problematic.
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