Antonio L. Rappa - The King and the Making of Modern Thailand

Antonio L. Rappa

First published 2017
by Routledge
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Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business

2017 Antonio L. Rappa

The right of Antonio L. Rappa to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Names: Rappa, Antonio L., author.
Title: The King and the making of modern Thailand / Antonio L. Rappa.
Other titles: Routledge contemporary Southeast Asia series ; 87.
Description: Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2017. |
Series: Routledge contemporary Southeast Asia series ; 87 | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016047570| ISBN 9781138221031 (hardback) | ISBN 9781315411330 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: ThailandHistory1945 | ThailandPolitics and government19451988. | ThailandPolitics and government1988- |
Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand, 1927-2016. | ThailandKings and rulersBiography.
Classification: LCC DS586 .R366 2017 | DDC 959.304/4dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016047570

ISBN:978-1-138-22103-1 (hbk)
ISBN:978-1-315-41133-0 (ebk)

Typeset in Galliard
by Wearset Ltd, Boldon, Tyne and Wear

This book is dedicated to my sons

George Anthony Cornelius Rappa and

Quentin Cornelius Rappa

May they learn to live life more than they devote to its study

Yoo bpai bai chan see kow lek pben manmueang
[Living under the white elephant and mango trees]

The King and the Making of Modern Thailand defines the nature of Thai politics as centring on self-preservation over morality. Ethics and morality are overshadowed by avarice, greed, corruption, cronyism and nepotism. At the apex of Thai society is the monarchy, where the preservation of the Chakri Dynasty has been proven to be more important than any moral consequences. The monarchy is protected by a cult of personality and the Grand Chakri Narrative.

The decade between 1985 and 1995 provided several opportunities for some participant observation with members of the Royal Thai Armys (RTA) Kings Guards and the 31st Infantry Regiment. Parachuting in Thailand gives one a different perspective. They are more willing to reveal things to you if you also jump with them as a foreign ally and military colleague. My ethnographic interviews with RTA officers and men revealed a loyal and highly dedicated team of soldiers who were unfortunately forced to stretch the limited resources allocated to the RTA.

As a result, many short cuts in military training, operations and established Standard Operating Protocols (SOP) as well as financial procedures occurred. Also, some officers were reported by their own men as trying to increase the military budget through side businesses. One such side business was selling drugs in military-controlled drug-prone areas, while another involved the sale of small arms and munitions across the kingdoms long and meandering borders with Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia and Cambodia. A former colleague and political scientist from Myanmar told me that many Karen rebel fighters purchased their small arms from the Thai side of their common borders. Other military officers called for tender exercises and received kickbacks. Some officers reported that they returned a portion of their share of the tender exercises to their own units while others pocketed all the money themselves. The focus groups revealed many cases of enlisted personnel who collaborated with their superiors to sell information and military hardware. When my research assistants and I reminded the focus groups that the use of public office for personal gain is corruption, many informants smiled and others laughed. As I observed, corruption has, for a long time, been widespread in the Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTAF). The norm of corruption exists in the RTAF and RTA as well as the Royal Thai Police (RTP) because of low wages, few job perks and many opportunities for corruption. The opportunities for corruption present themselves out of a complex bureaucracy, and red tape tends to create opportunities for bribery, extortion and other forms of monetary inducements.