'Radicalising Thailand New political perspectives' By Ji Giles Ungpakorn (ed): Bangkok: Institute of Asian Studies, Chulalongkorn University, 2003

Abstract

This is a timely and important volume of essays. As the title indicates, the book aims to bring a radical perspective, drawing largely, although not exclusively, on various strands within the Marxist tradition, to the analysis of Thailand's political economy. In pursuit of this objective there are two chapters (Bell and Classman) that challenge previous explanations of Thailand's economic crisis and outline alternative approaches, three chapters that examine and assess the history, practices and political limitations of Thai NGOs (Simpkins, Ungpakorn and Kanokrat), three chapters that reflect upon, from differing angles, aspects of the history and more recent experiences of the Thai Left (Ungpakorn, Somchai, Wipa), a chapter by Hewison that looks at domestic capitalist responses to neo-liberalism and finally, a chapter (Connors) that analyses contemporary processes of state reform, focusing especially on the ways in which the state has appropriated discourses of democracy, civil society and community. An introductory chapter by Ungpakorn provides an overview of political change in Thailand that is meant to situate each of the main chapters in a broader historical context.