Since the 2006 coup, Thailand’s military has possessed much-heightened political clout; a political clout which it has not had since 1992. Yet like any military, the Thai armed forces are not monolithic. At times, rifts across the military have disturbed the political system, while at other times cleavages have been carefully balanced or smoothed over beneath an overlying unity. Given the significance of such fusion and fission in the armed forces, this study examines military factionalism in Thailand today. Specifically, it focuses upon four questions. First, what is military factionalism, and how might explain the behavior of military factions be explained? Second, what are the sources of military factionalism? Third, what are the consequences of military factionalism? Finally, how has factionalism influenced stability and democracy in Thailand?
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