The prospects for Thailand's emergence as a democracy seemed strong in the 1990s. Yet, as most recently demonstrated by military coups in 2006 and 2014, that hasn't happened. Why not? Why have factors typically considered advantageous for democratization turned into barriers? Is there a uniquely Thai reason that democratization efforts have failed? Daniel Unger and Chandra Mahakanjana explore the intersecting and often contradictory forces that are shaping the nature of Thai politics today. Paying overdue attention to a complex of social, cultural, and institutional dynamics, they offer a nuanced portrait of the ongoing tug-of-war between authoritarian and democratic impulses.