
Royal Capitalism
Wealth, Class, and Monarchy in Thailand
Puangchon Unchanam(Author)
University of Wisconsin Press
Published on 30. January 2020
Book
Hardback
336 pages
978-0-299-32600-5 (ISBN)
Description
Thanks to its active role in national politics, the market economy, and popular culture, the Thai crown remains both the country's dominant institution and one of the world's wealthiest monarchies. Puangchon Unchanam examines the reign of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej or Rama IX (1946-2016) and how the crown thrived by transforming itself into a distinctly "bourgeois" monarchy that co-opted middle-class values of hard work, frugality, and self-sufficiency.
The kingdom positioned itself to connect business elites, patronize local industries, and form strategic partnerships with global corporations. Instead of restraining or regulating royal power, white-collar workers joined with the crown to form a dynamic, symbiotic force that has left the lower classes to struggle in their wake. Unchanam presents a surprising case study that kings and queens live long and large in cooperation with the bourgeoisie's interests and ideology.
The kingdom positioned itself to connect business elites, patronize local industries, and form strategic partnerships with global corporations. Instead of restraining or regulating royal power, white-collar workers joined with the crown to form a dynamic, symbiotic force that has left the lower classes to struggle in their wake. Unchanam presents a surprising case study that kings and queens live long and large in cooperation with the bourgeoisie's interests and ideology.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Wisconsin
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Laminated cover
Illustrations
25 black & white illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 19 mm
Weight
619 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-299-32600-5 (9780299326005)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Puangchon Unchanam is a lecturer in the Department of Political Science at Naresuan University.