ABSTRACT

The notion of Thainess has raised questions among Thai political observers in terms of whether there is such thing as so-called Thainess, and whether the term undermines democratic progress and the promotion and protection of human rights in Thailand. In the recent Thai political discourse, the term has been generally employed to justify the state of democracy and human rights within Thailand, specifically in relation to Thailand’s failure to synchronise with the universal concepts of democracy and human rights. This was made particularly clear since the mass street protects and the “Shut Down Bangkok” campaign of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) during 2013–2014, which culminated in the 2014 coup. The utilisation of the notion of Thainess can be explained by the concept of cultural relativism. Thainess is employed by the Thai political leadership and conservative Thais when the issues of democracy and human rights are raised, at the expense of intellectual honesty, and ultimately serve to maintain their control of the population and ensure their obedience. Therefore, this chapter primarily discusses the state of human rights and freedoms under the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), which was restricted by the promotion of Thainess.