Thailand’s struggles are almost entirely domestic and in general not destabilizing for the region,
but because of them Bangkok lacks the capacity to be a more productive force. While Thailand
has played helpful roles in encouraging Myanmar’s democratic transition and coordinating talks
between the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian nations (ASEAN) and China on a Code
of Conduct in the South China Sea, it has not claimed as much of a leadership role of ASEAN as
it might if its own politics were more stable.