Here I follow the reception of the word thammarat among different political
groups in the Thai polity, including the authoritarian military establishment, the liberal
corporate elite, and communitarian public intellectuals and activists. My intention is to
highlight the ways in which debates about the meaning of “Good Governance” did indeed
provide a space for different groups to negotiate with one another about the proper nature
of the state, the market, and society more generally, at a time when these concepts were
being called into question. In fact, different political actors on the Thai scene staged
debates through IMF language that went far beyond the wildest dreams of any IMF
functionary.