Thailand: Economy and Politics [Paperback]

Phongpaichit Pasuk (Author), Chris Baker (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 983560066X | ISBN-13: 978-9835600661 | Publication Date: August 29, 2002 | Edition: 2

The original edition of this book, published in 1995, was the first full-length of Thailand's modern economy and politics. This edition is a major revision, incorporating recent research, and bringing the account up to the start of the new millennium. The focus is on recent decades, set in a deeper historical context of Siam in the Bangkok era.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The book ... is so good that it reminds the reader of just how few up-to-date, three-dimensional books there are on ASEAN countries."--International Herald Tribune

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Phongpaichit Pasuk is at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok.

Product Details

• Paperback: 520 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 2 edition (August 29, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 983560066X
• ISBN-13: 978-9835600661
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,274,331 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent, readable review of Thai political hsitory, September 17, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Thailand: Economy and Politics (Hardcover)

In the past, Thai history was written by noblemen and created an idyll of a virtuous past, filled with happy peasants living a simple life under the watchful eye of benevolent despots. Unfortunately, many Westerners followed in this tradition, although they (and Thai nobles) criticized more recent, military regimes. This book breaks out of that box and makes it clear that life has never been easy for Thai peasants and that upper classes have rarely been all that virtuous. The authors also show a much more diverse Thailand than the "homogeneity" that is popularly ascribed. In addition, they detail the corruption of recent decades that should make Americans (as well as Japanes and others) who abetted it ashamed of the role they've played in in supporting horrible regimes. An excellent volume that is revisionist in the most positive sense of the word.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars History at its finest!, September 6, 2005

By 

John Couch (USA via England via Bangkok) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Thailand: Economy and Politics (Paperback)

While living in Thailand for most of the 1990's, I was determined to understand the history of that wondrous country. Unfortunately, at the time there was little written that provided more than the chronologies and "accomplishments" of the Thai monarchy. That was, until "Thailand: Economy and Politics" was published.

This wife and husband team - she (Pasuk Phongpaichit), an economics professor at Thailand's top university, and he (Chris Baker), a history major from Britain - has written the most enlightening history book I've ever read. Beginning with the peasants and the impact that the aristocracy had on their lives, this book looks at history from an economic rather than a time-line perspective. It may be academic in nature, with plenty of tables and references, but it is immensely readable. Rather than fixating on the "who, what and when" of traditional history books, the authors explain why and how events happened as they did.

More than just explaining the past, this book (stealthily) explains a lot about what made the Thai people the way they are. Why are Thais so deferential to authority? Why is petty corruption so endemic in the bureaucracy? How has the large Chinese minority so easily integrated with Thai culture, unlike in many of its neighbors? How was Thailand impacted by the war in Vietnam? How does the monarchy cohabitate with the military and political leadership?

For those unfamiliar with Thailand, this book provides a beautiful portrait of the making of a country. For those who have spent a bit of time in Thailand, it will provide many "Ahh, now I understand" moments. How can a history book be any better?