Thailand today faces systemic structural problems, as shown by the economic crisis of late 1997, which has continued throughout the 2000s. Although the country is presently administered by a civilian government, the political and bureaucratic patronage system has remained unchanged and constitutes a major obstacle to the decentralization of power and to significant social and economic reforms. Despite these circumstances, the Thai Buddhist sangha remains silent and inactive, largely due to its own bureaucratic administration and its individualistic approach to the problems. Most monks maintain that if all individuals were ethical, problems would be solved naturally. While there is an element of truth to this approach, it naively ignores the impact of modern economic, political, and social structures on the everyday lives of individuals.