Northern Thai Politics: Bosses, Parties, and Provincial Democracy

The 2023 electoral success of the progressive Move Forward Party signaled a potentially seismic shift in Thailand’s political landscape. Though it did not ultimately lead to a transfer of power, the popular rejection of the conservative establishment—particularly in the seventeen rural northern provinces—demonstrated that the politics of the periphery matters greatly in determining Thailand’s future and understanding its past. This collection offers a holistic and wide-ranging examination of the powerful dynasties, influential party bosses, and ground-level social forces—which together form a web of regional and local power that has had profound implications for the ruling class in Bangkok in the twenty-first century.