Politics
After a history of military coups, a consolidated middle class was able to make gains in human rights and democracy, ideas enshrined in the 1991 Constitution. Amendments made in 1997 included compulsory voting, greater political participation, and measures to reduce corruption. Both the House of Representatives and Senate are elected by popular vote, and a vote of no confidence can oust the government. Under a constitutional monarchy, King Bhumibol appoints the judges of the Supreme Court and maintains a distant but telling influence over national politics, such is the high regard in which he is held. Power is centralized in Bangkok and delegated to provincial and local administrations.

Following the Asian financial crisis in 1997, Thailand experienced a rise in populist movements in the political arena. In 2000, and again in February 2005, the Thai Rak Thai (TRT) party won an overwhelming victory on a platform that emphasized redistribution of wealth. Shortly after earning this second term as Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra dissolved parliament in February 2006 in response to criticism surrounding the $1.9 billion, tax-exempt sale of Shin Corporation, a telecoms giant owned by the Prime Minister’s family, to the Singaporean state holding company. However, the opposition coalition, People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), refused to participate in the snap elections in April thereby denying legitimacy to the inevitable TRT victory.

After strong public protest, the elections were declared unconstitutional by Thailand’s highest courts on grounds that the TRT bribed smaller parties to stand as a device to satisfy the requirement that successful candidates must receive votes from at least one-fifth of the registered electorate. King Bhumibol has endorsed new elections, set to take place on 15th October 2006, in hope of resolving the political crisis. Doubts are already being expressed about Thaksin Shinawatra's abuse of power in bringing charges against opposition parties and politicians.

Thailand has an extensive civil society with NGOs and other groups working in areas from women’s rights to HIV/AIDS awareness, decentralization, and forest rights for communities. Some of these organizations are also affiliated with universities.

Conflict

Thailand has a history of avoiding conflict through careful negotiations and policies of accommodation. The fact that it remained un-colonized in the era of British and French imperial rule provides a great source of national pride. Internal conflict, however, among Muslim separatists in the south is on the rise once again.

An escalation of violence in the southernmost Muslim provinces of Thailand has led the Prime Minister to declare martial law in the region, giving the government authority to censor the media and detain individuals suspected of insurgent activities. Since martial law was imposed in January 2004, violence on both sides has claimed at least 1000 lives. The use of brutal force by the military may further alienate the Muslim population and undercut efforts for a peaceful resolution.

The cause of the unrest has not yet emerged with any clarity. The region is less prosperous than the rest of Thailand and has more cultural affinity with Malaysia – indeed the status of the province of Pattani has always been unsettled and a separatist group known as Mujahadeen Islam Pattani may have become more active; other speculation centers on Islamic fundamentalism, perhaps provoked by the fact that Thailand has allied itself with the United States over the ‘War on Terror.’

Human Rights

The severity with which the government has enforced the state of emergency has attracted the attention of human rights organizations, concerned about the scale of the killings and the lack of independent reports permitted from the region. In March 2004, a human rights lawyer and Muslim leader, Somchai Neelapaijit, was abducted and likely killed. The government and military had threatened him for bringing up charges of police torture of Muslim separatists and for defending two Thai nationals accused of belonging to Jemaah Islamiyah, a group affiliated with al-Qaeda. Later that year, up to 80 Muslim men died from suffocation whilst in custody, following an anti-police protest.

Thailand’s human rights record had come under serious scrutiny even before the state of emergency was declared, primarily as a result of the government’s “war on drugs” launched in February 2003. The measures led to the extra-judicial killing of nearly 2500 drug offenders yet, unmoved by international concern, the Prime Minister has recently stepped up the campaign.

The feeling that Thailand’s human rights credentials have deteriorated in recent years is not helped by Thaksin Shinawatra’s apparent efforts to improve ties with Burma’s military government, which has an abhorrent record. He has refused adequate protection for Burmese refugees such as the Karenni, forcing the UN Refugee Agency to move refugees from Bangkok to the border between Thailand and Burma where the potential for deportation is inevitably greater.

Trafficking of children for the sex trade is an established problem in Thailand, both internally and across borders.

HIV /AIDS

Thailand’s experience with HIV/AIDS demonstrates that governments, civil society, and ordinary people can work in partnership to fight the pandemic. Following the heterosexual outbreak of AIDS in Thailand, the government responded quickly and aggressively. Former Prime Minister Anand Panyarachun made HIV a national priority in 1991, taking the issue out of the Ministry of Health and into his own office. He instructed all cabinet ministers to develop AIDS plans for their sectors. By 1996, the AIDS budget amounted to US$90 million.

Thailand also launched a mass media campaign promoting condom use, especially among commercial sex workers. Rather than sanctioning brothels, which are widespread but technically illegal, the government chose to force them to make their patrons use condoms. Senator Mechai Viravaidya, nicknamed ‘Mr Condom,’ established the Population and Community Development Association (PDA), which implemented a system of educational networking and condom distribution to the rural population.

Thailand has brought down the adult HIV prevalence rate among the general population to 1.5 percent. The country's major concern at present is for the treatment of its 600,000 infected people. Stricter international trade agreements protecting drug patents will make it more difficult for Thailand to manufacture affordable generics of anti-retroviral drugs. Additionally, condom use among heterosexual couples is on the decline, creating anxiety that complacency could undo the progress made thus far.

Information and Media

The 1991 Constitution provides for freedom of the press; however, the government has taken increasing measures to restrict the media in recent years, particularly in the southern regions covered by the state of emergency. The National Police Department has the authority to revoke publishing licenses on grounds of national security. The government and military own and operate most of the television networks and several radio stations. The Thai Journalists Association and the Thai Broadcasters Association have complained of unfair treatment of journalists and outlets not in line with the government position. Thailand’s position in the Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders dropped sharply in 2005.

Thai media exercises a level of self-censorship concerning the royalty, which is legally protected from criticism, and the military.

Economy

The Asian financial crisis of 1997-1998 hit Thailand even harder than many of its neighbours and undercut some of the tremendous economic progress that the country has enjoyed. Some commentators blamed the crisis partly on the pressures Thailand faced to open its capital account in order to attract foreign investment - too much money was flowing into the country too quickly. The subsequent IMF bailout package itself may have hindered recovery through the neo-liberal policies that it imposed.

Thailand’s west coast suffered the devastating impact of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, resulting in about 5400 deaths of both Thai and foreign nationals. With the assistance of $61 million of relief funds, most of the resort areas re-opened for business just a few months after the tsunami and are attracting tourists once more. However, the instability of the current political situation has led to reduced foreign investment, lower consumer confidence, higher levels of inflation, and budget constraints.

Environment

The tsunami cannot be blamed for the general environmental devastation experienced in Thailand. Indeed the prior clearance of about half of the natural protection of mangrove forests along the coastline may have intensified its impact. Commercial logging inland has also led to the destruction of precious rainforests. Thailand has acknowledged the loss of these natural resources as a national emergency.

In the cities rising levels of air pollution are amongst the worst in the world. Poor quality of air in Bangkok cost the healthcare system an estimated $6.3 billion in the year 2001 alone. Government efforts to reduce air pollution include the construction of an above-ground rail system in the city. A National Committee on Long-term Global Environmental Issues has been established by the government in response to the rising levels of greenhouse gases.