Differences in regime type and political context, to a varying degree, influence the nation’s security outlook. It is normal that under a military regime, conventional threats are treated as the most serious because they allow leaders to further consolidate their grip on power. In a democratic system, a country’s defence policy tends to become much broader and not so military-centric. But this rule is not set in stone, only a guide to understanding Thailand’s defence policy. Since the military coup, the role of the army has been prominent in the security policy-making process with little participation from civilians. The military has taken new initiatives, particularly in redefining the faces of enemies, reinventing new threats to national security and reinvigorating its own power through defence budget augmentation. Implementing its current defence white paper (2007-2011), the security establishment’s immediate tasks are to heal the deep division within Thai society, and to prepare Thai society to deal with a rise in political violence. As for its long-term strategy, protecting the dignity of the monarchical institution has been made the uncompromising top priority. The notion of national security has been tightly bound with the legitimacy of the ruling elite. When the nation is under threat, the ruling elite’s legitimacy is also at risk. They tend to equate the state of national security with that of their own security. Likewise, when faced with any challenge that could make them politically insecure, they are quick to explain it away as a threat to the security of the nation. Therefore, the military did not hesitate to launch brutal crackdowns against red shirt demonstrators, depicted as a threat to its own power. Similarly, Thailand showed little interest in promoting a working relationship with Cambodia, but was content to adopt a military option to deal with border tensions vis-à-vis Cambodia. This was not only because the Abhisit government enjoyed firm backing from the military, but also because the military saw the benefit in taking a decisive stance in the name of defending national security even when its actions could seriously hurt bilateral ties.