Subrahmanyan Arjun Amnesia

Thailand''s monarchy and military have dominated the narrative of the country''s modern history, and their leadership is often accepted as evidence of a cultural preference for authoritarianism. Despite a long history of military coups that have upended the course of the country''s democracy, however, Thailand''s democratic history is a vital though largely ignored aspect of modern Thai society. Based on extensive archival research, <i>Amnesia</i> delves into the social and political beginnings of Thai democracy and explains how a bloodless revolution against the monarchy in 1932 introduced a constitutional democracy and ignited enduring hopes for a fairer society and a more representative government. The "People''s Party," a small group of commoners who staged the revolution in the name of democracy, found an enthusiastic audience for their bold populist rhetoric among wide swathes of society. In <i>Amnesia</i>, Arjun Subrahmanyan illustrates how the idealism of the first decade of Thai democracy, now largely forgotten, still shapes Thai society.