The case of Thailand is the most complex in some respects. In contrast to Malaysia and Singapore, political instability has been its hallmark. Under authoritarian rule, from 1932 to 1973, internecine disputes within the armed forces triggered changes in government but maintained the same regime. In 1973, Thailand began a brief period of democracy before the armed forces launched a coup and regained power in 1976. They intervened again with military coups in 1991 and 2006 but both times remained in power only briefly. Civilian governments ruled Thailand starting in the early 1980s. For most of that decade, however, the armed forces kept control over the appointment of the prime minister and their influence on the government was still very strong. They remained influential but, after 1992, democratically elected governments played a central role. Democratic rule was no less unstable as fragile coalitions frequently collapsed until a constitutional change in 1997 that paved the way for a majority government under the Thai Rak Thai party. Looming in the background, a popular monarch provided decades of continuity as the Thai people not only revered him but also appreciated his occasional interference in political disputes. In more recent years, a deep-seated crisis divided supporters of the former Thai Rak Thai party and the coalition of military, business, bureaucrats and politicians that had dominated Thailand's politics for several decades. In sum, Thai politics have been marked by frequent changes of government, looming military intervention and fragile democracy.

Yet, Thailand seems to represent an almost textbook case of modernization theory. Fuelled by decades of economic growth, it was poised for a transition to democratic politics. If we abstract from the short democratic hiatus of 1973–6, Thailand was authoritarian from 1932 until the early 1980s. Most of the decade of the 1980s was a softer, more open authoritarian regime where parties and parliament were active. After 1988, with the exception of the 1991 and 2006 coups that brought the armed forces to power for one year or less each time, democratic politics prevailed. Electoral democracy became the norm until today.