Thaksin has mythologized his life story as poor boy made good with shades of the "pillow and mat" tales of a migrant who arrives with nothing and succeeds by hard work, sacrifice, and daring. Certainly his family went through some bad patches because of his father's wayward business career. But, in truth the Shinawatra family saga over four generations is more interesting as part of the trans- formation of Thailand's urban society and culture over a century.