Over the past months, Bangkok has been the stage of violent clashes between supporters of ex-prime minister Thaksin and elitists and (self-proclaimed) royalists of the current Thai government. The protesters were forced to surrender after the government sent in the army. It may have brought a temporal rest in the Thai capital but the conflict itself is far from over so do not be surprised when the mob returns. The Economist of this week (vol. 395, no. 8863, May 22nd, 2010) has done a thorough wrap-up of the current situation.
However, the current situation has a long history. The fact that the riots took place and the fact that it took place in Bangkok is not surprising if one considers the role of Bangkok in Thai history. After being established as the capital of the current Kingdom of Thailand, it quickly grew to encompass administrations, markets, transports and, more recently, forces of globalisation including global capitalism, information and tourism. As such, Bangkok became the main symbol of power and wealth in Thailand, drawing people from across the country and growing tremendously. It is therefore inevitable that the roads of the rich ruling elitists cross with the (relatively new) middle-classes and the poor who find themselves competing for survival in this city. This is a process that started back in 1932 when the absolute monarchy ended, through the riots of 1992, up until the period after Thaksin was ousted. To understand the current clashes requires understanding the coming of age of Bangkok.
‘Bangkok: Place, Practice and Representation’ by Marc Askew (Routledge, 2002) does a supreme job in showing the anatomy of the city and its crucial role in the changes in the Thai society. Askew analyses how the city developed from an administrative center to the economic powerhouse it is today and does so with remarkable depth. I really admire this book not only because it uncovers the driving forces that make Bangkok and the place Bangkok has in shaping society but above all because Askew manages to cover a wide range of topics without getting lost in the diverse factors that define a city. I started reading this book before the most recent riots took place and it was amazing to find out how much of the current crisis can be understood when going through this book. Recommended reading for anybody interested in Bangkok and Thailand and (even more) for anybody wanting to find out how cities shape society and vice versa