Military Coup Patterns and Thai Politics

Abstract

This study aims to; 1) examine coup strategies in Thailand, 2) investigate coup strategies in foreign countries, and 3) conduct a comparative analysis of coup strategy patterns in Thailand and other countries. The research adopts a qualitative research approach, employing a systematic analysis and synthesis of relevant documents, literature, and previous studies. Data were analyzed using descriptive analysis and analytical induction within the conceptual framework of civil–military relations and coup theory.

The findings reveal that: (1) coups in Thailand constitute a structural political process characterized by the systematic use of strategies, including the construction of legitimacy through security and political crisis discourses, the control of state power mechanisms and mass media, and the post-coup design of political rules to entrench power in the long term; (2) coups in foreign countries exhibit greater variation depending on political contexts and the strength of democratic institutions, with a growing tendency to shift from direct military force toward the use of legal mechanisms, political institutions, and discursive communication to seize and maintain state power; and (3) comparative synthesis indicates that coups in Thailand closely resemble Guardian coups, functioning as a mechanism for balancing power within elite groups rather than fundamentally transforming the structure of power. These findings reflect distinctive characteristics of Thai politics that facilitate the recurrence of coups and contribute to an expanded understanding of coups as a structural political process.