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On the Path of Democracy:

From Global Perspective to the
Thai Experience

Dr. Surin Pitsuwan*

It was my idea proposing to Dr. Borwornsak [Uwanno], the

Secretary General of King Prajadhipok’s Institute (KPI), that this year
we should be talking about eight decades of Thai democracy: why it

has failed and how to make it work. But the idea was proposed
before the coup d’état. Little did I know that I would have to be
delivering the keynote speech on that very subject. Early in the year,

I understand that we were extremely anxious, extremely insecure,
extremely uncertain about our political future. So, I thought we should

think, analyze and somehow look into our path of democracy or our
efforts on the path of democracy in the past eight decades. And it
was my idea to bring the issue to Ambassador Mark Kent of the

British Embassy over lunch. Thinking that the experiences of the world,
the UK, our European colleagues, our American colleagues, our

Japanese colleagues, how they have gone through their own struggles
for democracy, so that the Thai people could understand our own
experience in the context of the historical, of the global struggle for

democracy. So, what is it that has been the theme of Thai struggle for
democracy? Since 1982, we have had nineteen constitutions. Each

lasted about four years. So much so that a researcher at Oxford went
to the British Museum Library and asked if he could borrow a copy of
the Thai constitution. The librarian said “sorry, we do not keep

periodicals here.” – “เราไม่เก็บเอกสารรายปักษ์ที่นี่” Because we have
come up with so many of them hoping that this one is going to be

the last one, it’s going to be the perfect one, into the future. Well, we
are at it again. And the Chairperson of the National Reform Council is
here with us. I understand you have already appointed or elected or

* อดีตเลขาธิการอาเซียน, ประธานสถาบันออกแบบอนาคตประเทศไทย