his psychology of fascist paternalism, born out of the Italian and German experiences, has led to most of Thailand’s post-war military dictators – as well as the authoritarian demagoguery of Thaksin Shinawatra. This legacy, quite possibly together with the stress associated with the Herculean task of graft-busting he appears to have taken on, explains Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha’s recent outburst that he would dispense with ‘attitude adjustment’, simply imprison dissidents, and isolate Thailand from the rest of the world if necessary – and the psychology of authoritarian followers explains why the majority of Thai people polled supported General Prayut’s comment. However, the Buddhist aspect to the strain of paternalism adopted by General Prayut may explain why he has not actually ‘disappeared’ anyone yet – unlike previous Thai military dictators.