In the twilight years of Thailand's ailing King Bhumibol, battles between royalists and their red shirt opponents are increasing, and the tectonic shifts that lie beneath Thailand's decade-old political crisis have become increasingly apparent. Serhat Ünaldi's __Working towards the Monarchy__ sheds new light on recent developments with its bold analysis of urban space in downtown Bangkok: buildings, the author finds, are abstractions of the complexities that shape Thailand's transformation.
Most criticism of the political role of the Thai monarchy—its deep involvement in Thailand's uneven capitalist development, Bhumibol's endorsement of military coups and his silent acquiescence to political violence—has focused on the role of individuals: the king, the royal family, or privy councilors. Ünaldi departs from such limited intentionalist approaches to show instead just how deeply enmeshed the monarchy is in Thai society as a whole. He demonstrates how and why Thais from all walks of life drew on royal charisma to advance their individual aims, in effect "working towards the monarchy." Ünaldi's sociological analysis of urban space reveals how buildings and spaces have been constructed for political and economic ends, particularly to shore up the monarchy. For several decades the architecture in central Bangkok has helped protect the charisma of the monarchy, which dominates landholdings and investments in the area. Because the sacred aura of the royal family legitimized capitalist expansion and consumerism, it was defended and enhanced by those Bangkokians who profited from it. Yet politically and geographically marginalized Thais failed to benefit from this royalist-led capitalist development and eventually found a new leader, business tycoon-cum-politician Thaksin Shinawatra. When Thaksin's followers turned against royal charisma and attacked the architecture that represented and supported it, movement away from royal charismatic authority became a real possibility for the first time.
By combining sociology, political science, architecture, and anthropology, __Working towards the Monarchy__ offers a unique interdisciplinary approach. It will interest scholars and generalists alike, particularly those involved in the comparative study of monarchies.

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lgrsnf/10.1515_9780824855758.pdf

zlib/no-category/Serhat Ünaldi/Working towards the Monarchy: The Politics of Space in Downtown Bangkok_25948731.pdf

Serhat, Ünaldi,

Second Language Teaching & Curriculum Center, University of Hawaii at Manoa

University of Hawai'i Manoa - Center for Pacific Island Studies

University of Hawaiʻi Press

1. Auflage, digitale Originalausgabe, Honolulu, 2016

United States, United States of America

University of Hawai'i, Honolulu, 2016

1, 2016-05-31

degruyter.com

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<p>In the twilight years of Thailand's ailing King Bhumibol, battles between royalists and their red shirt opponents are increasing, and the tectonic shifts that lie beneath Thailand's decade-old political crisis have become increasingly apparent. The book sheds new light on recent developments with its bold analysis of urban space in downtown Bangkok: buildings, the author finds, are abstractions of the complexities that shape Thailand's transformation.</p>
<p>Most criticism of the political role of the Thai monarchy - its deep involvement in Thailand's uneven capitalist development, Bhumibol's endorsement of military coups and his silent acquiescence to political violence&mdash;has focused on the role of individuals: the king, the royal family, or privy councilors. &Uuml;naldi departs from such limited intentionalist approaches to show instead just how deeply enmeshed the monarchy is in Thai society as a whole. He demonstrates how and why Thais from all walks of life drew on royal charisma to advance their individual aims, in effect "working towards the monarchy." &Uuml;naldi's sociological analysis of urban space reveals how buildings and spaces have been constructed for political and economic ends, particularly to shore up the monarchy. For several decades the architecture in central Bangkok has helped protect the charisma of the monarchy, which dominates landholdings and investments in the area. Because the sacred aura of the royal family legitimized capitalist expansion and consumerism, it was defended and enhanced by those Bangkokians who profited from it. Yet politically and geographically marginalized Thais failed to benefit from this royalist-led capitalist development and eventually found a new leader, business tycoon-cum-politician Thaksin Shinawatra. When Thaksin's followers turned against royal charisma and attacked the architecture that represented and supported it, movement away from royal charismatic authority became a real possibility for the first time.</p>

Contents
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
Note on Language and Translations
Prologue
Introduction
Part I: King Bhumibol, Charisma, and Its Challengers
1. That Certain Something
2. A Tale of Two Gods
3. Transformation of Thai Authority and Its Social Foundations
Part II: The Politics of P(a)lace: Society and Architecture in Downtown Bangkok
4. Siam-Ratchaprasong and the Study of Thai Urban Space
5. The Politics of Space I
6. The Politics of Space II
Conclusion
Epilogue
Notes
References
Index

2023-08-22