Thailand's Struggle for Democracy: The Life and Times of M. R. Seni Pramoj

In writing about Thailand's struggle toward democracy by means of a political biography of M.R. Seni Pramoj, I have relied mainly on firsthand sources as a journalist. I've also drawn on a number of books and other publications, an annotated list of which may assist others interested in Thailand.

Seni himself was by far the most important source, in interviews going back to 1968 but most intensive in 1985 and dealing with events since. It was my intent to tell about his part in Thailand's struggle as much as possible in his own words. His powers of recall, particularly when checked against published accounts of events, are extraordinary. Some other firsthand sources are identified in the text. Some are not, and in many cases they requested anonymity.

Thailand: A Short History ( New Haven: Yale University Press, and Bangkok: Thai Watana Panich, 1984) by David K. Wyatt, the Cornell University historian and expert on Thailand, was a valuable reference for several periods in Thai development. Lords of Life: A History of the Kings of Thailand ( London: Alvin Redman, 1960, revised 1967) by Prince Chula Chakrabongse offers a general royalist perspective. For accounts of modern Thai events, The Nation, The Bangkok Post, and the old Bangkok World, all English-language Bangkok daily newspapers, were helpful.

For the Introduction, the following, all quoted in the text, provided insights into Thai Buddhism and the Thai monarchy: King "Bhumiphol Adulyadej", The World Fellowship of Buddhists Review, VIII ( Bangkok, 1971); Yoneo Ishii, Sangha, State and Society: Thai Buddhism in History ( Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1986); Siddhi Butr‐ Indr, "The Social Philosophy of Buddhism and The King in Buddhist Tradition" (quoted in Buddhism in Thai Life, Bangkok, 1981); Somboon Suksamran, Political Buddhism in Southeast Asia: The Role of the Sangha in the Modernization of Thailand and Political Patronage and Control Over the Sangha ( Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 1981); Sujib Punyanubhab, Some Prominent Characteristics of Buddhism ( Bangkok, translator Siri Buddhasukh)

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