Thailand at a Crossroads

Guest: Shane Strate, PhD, Professor Southeast Asian history at Kent State University and Author of “The Lost Territories: Thailand’s History of National Humiliation”  Thailand has been under military control since a coup in May 2014. That coup – just the latest in a series over the decades – was prompted, in part, by violent protests against government corruption. The generals have cracked down on publish gatherings and criticism of the Thai king, who is so ill he was unable to give his traditional birthday speech when he turned 88 this week. The combination of an unpopular military government, an impending royal succession and a strengthening movement for democracy make this an important moment for Thailand. A crossroads, even.