MARC SAXER| THAILAND CAUGHT IN THE VERTIGO OF CHANGE their dignity. Nevertheless, the slogan points to the grow­ing consciousness about the marginalised subjects as a political class. It stands for the emancipation of citizens who should have equal rights. The»red« fury over dou­ble standards consequentially takes aim at the common practice of the judiciary and bureaucracy treating people of different social status differently. Calling for elections as the only way to legitimise power,»red« protesters support the basic principles of electoral democracy:»one man, one vote«. 12 Traditional elites perceive this political self-as­sertion mainly as a threat to their privileged status, and are consequently fighting back to uphold the social hierarchy. On the other side of the aisle,»yellow« anger over en­demic corruption of the elites – despite all its affirma­tions of traditional values – also refers to a deeper nor­mative change: the people are no longer prepared to grant the»fruit of the land« to those in power. Even if the»yellow« insistence on the rule of law is mainly aimed to keep the»red« challengers of the traditional order in check, it also reflects the deep frustration of the urban middle class with money politics. The roots of New Po­litics can be traced back to civil society’s disdain concer­ning the inability, or flat out refusal, of the political class to reform. 13 Even if the idea to clean the political process of corruption and cronyism by suspending electoral de­mocracy is misguided, it shows that citizens expect their state to be efficiently run by representatives who respect the boundary between public and private interests. Defying repression, the civil society, academia, and alter­native media are closely watching the political process and are exercising a basic level of social control. Citizens’ increasing self-awareness as political actors has led to demands for greater participation in deliberation and decision-making. With growing confidence, citizens’ are demanding that their perspectives, interests, and values are heard. Elitist top-down decisions are increasingly re­sented. To the extent that the vertical order is eroding, the need is growing to establish horizontal mechanisms for consultation. However, a complementary culture of discussion under generally accepted rules for communi­cation still need to be developed. Traditional ways of legitimising power as well as exclu­sive decision-making behind closed doors do not match 12. Mark Askew, 2010, p. 8 f. 13. Ibid. these expectations any longer. The chronic shortcomings of the political process are no longer tolerated. The ega­litarian emancipation of citizens challenges the vertical order. The mismatch between expectations and reality results in a legitimacy crisis of the socio-political order. 4.2 Crisis of the Social and Cultural Order: New Ideas and Plurality Undermine the Normative Foundation New Ideas Challenge Old Wisdoms – and Each Other New expectations concerning the role of the state and the quality of the political process are part of a larger shift in values, ideas, and identities in Thai society. Better living conditions change the needs and goals of peop­le, but also perspectives and attitudes. Deeper integra­tion of the Thai economy into the global economy and the increasingly cosmopolitan ways of life of the elites and middle classes drive the diffusion of new ideas. The number of foreigners living in Thailand is steadily increa­sing, bringing influences and ideas from diverse cultural and political backgrounds. Western and East Asian influ­ences compete for the youths’ attention. Together with these new perspectives, values, and discourses, new concepts of the relationship between citizen and state – as well as the legitimation of power and proper mode of governance – gain traction. Expectations for how a pluralistic society should deal with conflict and come to a solution are changing. Traditional Thai values such as samakee(unity) or sa ngop(calm) are being ques­tioned where they stand against freedom of expression and the democratic modus of deliberation and decision­making. 14 The emancipation of citizens calls traditional legitimacy into question and requires the sovereignty of the people. Naturally, this creates tension between two concepts of sovereignty that can only be resolved under the compromise of constitutional monarchy. These new ideas and norms challenge the normative foundation of the traditional order. Contradictions Harbour Conflict Potential However, by no means are these new expectations and orientations converging towards a generally new accep­ted paradigm. In fact, the spread of new ideas, world 14. Ibid., p. 16. 10