Authors Paul & Yuangrat Wedel Discuss the History of Radicalism in Thailand - Part 2 [S6.E32]

This is the second part of a two part interview with Paul and
Yuangrat Wedel, longtime scholars and writers on Thai history and
society. The first part of the interview focused on the roots of
radicalism in Thai politics, especially the cultural impact of
the Hindu 'sakdina' system. The second part begins with a
discussion of the 1932 coup that led to the dissolution of
absolute monarchy. 


Paul explains the education of both Pridi Banomyong and Phibul
Songkhram in France, and their desire to bring Western liberal
ideas to Siam. Pridi, the civilian, took a particularly leftist
view of economics and tried to indoctrinate those views in the
first Thai constitution. Subsequently, after the split between
Pridi and Phibul, Pridi's more radical views were used against
him and played a role in his eventual exile from Thailand. 


The conversation continues to cover the rise of the military in
Thai politics, the role of satire in Thai society, the student
uprisings of the 1970s, and eventually to the more recent
protests against the current military-backed government. Has
anything really changed? If not, is there reason for optimism?
Listen in for the views of two true experts on Thailand with a
genuinely long view of Thai history. 


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