Contemporary Thailand offers an accessible, critical discussion of contemporary Thai politics. Drawing on critical theories in development and international studies, the author offers a fresh and challenging view of what happens when international development agencies and Thai state and non-state actors work together.Beginning with a revisionist overview of Thailand's "long democratization" and using interviews and extensive Thai language sources, Connors explores the struggle for political order by examining four significant sites of contestation; monarchy, culture, rights and the place of the Muslim South in the Thai nation.By providing an alternative narrative to contemporary Thailand of tourism and poverty, the book will be essential reading for those with an interest in Thailand and South East Asia, and will offer novel analytical tools and comparative insights to those interested in development, international studies, the politics of culture, and security studies. politics, democratization, and political ideas in Asia.