The republican movement was precipitated in part by the rise of Thaksin Shinawatra, a business tycoon turned populist politician whose influence and popularity in rural areas were seen as threats to the royal establishment and Bangkok’s urban elite.
The military ousted Mr. Thaksin as prime minister in 2006, and overthrew a government led by his sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, last year, but his followers remain the core of the most powerful political movement in modern Thai history. The king sided with the military in both coups.
Military rule has papered over those divisions, silencing critics and jailing former members of the government. But unifying the country remains the most pressing challenge for both the junta and the future king.