This interpretative study of Thailand is the first publication in the Southeast Asia "State of the Nation" Monograph Series published the Institute of Southeast Asia. The purpose of the series is to make available concise studies of the state of the nation in each of the countries of Southeast Asia, taking into account the political, economic and social forces that have shaped them. It attempts to analyse the changing relationships between the state, the economy, and the civil society in the process of democratization in Thailand. It hoped to shed more light on the nature of the problems facing the country's fragile democracy and the future prospects of its democratic development.