Political authority and provincial identity in Thailand: The making of Banharn-buri

摘要

This book provides a meticulously detailed and insightful account of Banharn Silpa-archa (b. 1932), a former prime minister of Thailand and elected member of parliament (1976-2008) from Suphanburi province to the north of Bangkok. It unveils the roots of popular support for Banharn, who has come to epitomise corrupt provincial politicians who rise to power through vote-buying, electoral fraud and violence, in his case allegedly achieved through the manipulation of a vast network of vulnerable rural clients.