SINCE the introduction of Thailand's constitutional monarchy in 1932, the country's armed forces have been the most powerful force in Thai political life. Regular coups d’état that replace elected governments have gained legitimacy as part of the political process. That is in part because the monarchy endorsed most successful coups. King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, has reigned during most of them. The king is revered with almost religious devotion; Thailand is one of the few countries in which lèse-majesté laws are still in force. Indeed, fears over a tumultuous succession may have been the main motivation for the most recent coup in May 2014 that ousted Yingluck Shinawatra, who had won a landslide victory in a general election in 2011. She was subsequently impeached and banned from politics by the military-appointed parliament, with criminal charges brought against her.