In a democracy, voters elect their leaders; but, in Thailand, protestors determine the fate of their prime minister. On April 2, 2006, a parliamentary election was held in Thailand and voters could decide if Thaksin Shinawatra should remain in office. He promised to step down if his affiliated party Thai Rak Thai failed to receive more than 50 percent of the vote. People could cast a ‘no’ vote which would count against him. Nevertheless, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra won over 54 percent of the overall vote. Ironically, two days later in front of a nationally televised audience he announced his resignation.

Thaksin ShinawatraFormer Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra gained popularity in the rural regions of Thailand because of the government programs he initiated for those oft-neglected areas of the country. He provided universal health care for the poor, generous loans to farmers and those wanting to start small businesses in their villages, and his welfare subsidies helped alleviate poverty.

Yet, many of the citizens in the capitol city of Bangkok (including the middle class, academics, extreme leftists and former cronies of the Prime Minister) formed an unholy alliance against Thaksin Shinawatra. They accused him of corruption, restricting the media and excessive violence against Muslim insurgents and drug dealers.

Ultimately it was a business deal which led to the Prime Minister’s downfall. Thaksin Shinawatra had been a billionaire tycoon. His family-owned Shin Corp., a telecom business, was highly regulated by the government. He publicly stated that he was selling Shin Corp to Tamesek Holdings of Singapore for $1.8 billion in order to avoid the appearance of impropriety. The sale was a tax-free transaction since it was a stock sale; and Thailand doesn’t impose capital gains taxes.

Once the deal was announced, his opponents staged major rallies protesting the tax-free business deal. Calling themselves the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) this protest group held large demonstrations in front of the Prime Minister’s office every night. As many as 100,000 Bangkok citizens joined in the rallies demanding that Thaksin Shinawatra resign. He refused to step down but was willing to accept a compromise.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand proposed a parliamentary election. He wanted the voters to decide if Thaksin Shinawatra should keep his job. The prime minister’s enemies opposed the election. The three main opposition parties staged a boycott. A majority of Thai voters supported Thaksin Shinawatra. Thus, one would have thought that demands for his resignation would go unheeded. The protestors did not give up, despite having lost the election on April 2. They continued their demonstrations and vowed not to stop until Thaksin Shinawatra quit his post. A stalemate seemed likely until King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand held an emergency meeting with the prime minister. Shortly afterwards, Thakshin Shinawatra bowed to pressure and announced his resignation. His supporters were stunned and in his speech he said, "It’s not that I’m not willing to fight, but when I fight; the nation loses."

Thaksin Shinawatra may not have been the best prime minister Thailand has had. Nor was he the most virtuous. But, the majority of Thais wanted him to stay in power. His departure (given his unwillingness to fight his Bangkok-centered opponents represents a defeat for democracy and a victory for mob rule.

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