Pasuk Phongpaichit

This book is not so much about getting into a crisis as getting through one. It reviews what the IMF did, who got hurt, what worked and what failed in the economic and social management of the crisis. It shows how political change got bound up with economic crisis, resulting in a new constitution, a seismic shift in the political landscape, and greater assertiveness by civil society.

Since becoming prime minister of Thailand in 2001, Thaksin has been highly popular but also highly controversial. Observers have described him both as “the best prime minister Thailand has ever had” and “another grubby businessman.” This book is the first serious study of Thaksin in English. It examines where he came from and what he was (and still is) trying to do.