Modern uniform, feudal culture: the Thai military’s business interests

Abstract This paper argues that the pervasive political and economic power of the Thai military is fundamentally rooted in a neo-feudal logic, echoing the Thai sakdina culture. While modern in appearance, the armed forces operate a patrimonial system where high-ranking officers behave like feudal lords, managing fragmented and autonomous fiefdoms of wealth across decentralized branches. This research identifies two structural pillars of the system: the autonomous fiefdoms and the near-total absence of external oversight. These two pillars facilitate systematic extraction and distribution of commercial revenues hidden from the public gaze. The military’s dominant political position allows it to reclassify private interests as matters of national security, effectively bypassing the rule of law and shielding its economic fiefdoms from civilian scrutiny. Ultimately, this paper underscores that the military’s business operations represent an institutionalized neo-feudal construct, a primary obstacle to professional military reform.