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and rejecting the shoddy, democracy is not only sustained, it thrives.”The third element of Anand Panyarachun’s New Normal applies to the “rule of law”. The rule of law is not simply an application of regulations but must include moral principles and good governance. Mr Anand mentioned a World Justice Project (WJP) report that attempts to measure advances in the rule of law at a global level. According to the ranking, Thailand’s judicial system is 56th out of 102 countries, following the Philippines, Greece and Ghana.Beneath the surface, the reputation of the Land of Smiles and the nation’s legislative process seem to fail to meet international criteria. Apart from being transparent and just, the state’s legitimacy must not be arbitrary or favour certain specific parties. “Lawful governance does not imply using the law to govern people or enforce the state’s will. We must have rule of law rather than rule by law.“When the rule of law is weak, corruption flourishes. Democracy becomes dysfunctional when politicians, civil servants, the private sector, the judiciary, the police and the military use their power to enrich themselves and advance their own interests at the expense of civil society.”Lastly, the fourth element on the road to reform is aimed at recalibrating “the balance of power between the state and the people”, emphasizing the core of true democracy. Decentralization in Mr Anand’s view does not simply imply distribution of power to local authority bodies but the dis- persal of power into the hands of civil society, which can better reflect actual public demands.The education system, again, is a major factor in creating democratic citizenship and contributing to a vibrant civil society. Reform is needed to nurture people to think critically and inspire the younger generation to be confident in voicing opinions and to think and argue in a rational manner.“In an age where a staggering amount of information is available at the touch of a button or the swipe of a smartphone, learning will be more important than knowing. If our children are to be able to solve the complex problems of the future ... they will need a high degree of creativity. This is something I feel has been sadly neglected so far.”After 83 years of Thai political history, there is still hope for a better Thai democratic society, Mr Anand believes. “We have been rather profligate with our constitutions. We are on our 19th in the space of 83 years – which happens to coincide exactly with my age. ... I had hoped it would make Thai democracy more open, transparent and accountable, and that electoral reforms would limit money politics and corruption.”state’s journey through constitutional democracy. His premiership during two periods in Thai history occurred unintentionally. After being appointed prime minister for the first time by coup d’état, he was criticised as being part of a dictatorship. Mr Anand, however, was one of the most respected Thai prime ministers and chaired the drafting of Thailand’s longest-lasting constitution in 1997.“I personally can’t support the coup d’état. ... Working with them was nothing to do with the coup. The point was that they were there and they were governing the country. [At that time,] if not any civilian stepped in, we would have been heading to disaster.” He added: “I was not the product but the outcome of the coup d’état.”Despite Mr Anand’s confidence that these four elements could be put into practice, guiding Thailand to its New Normal, some in the audience could not help but feel sceptical, asking whether this reform blueprint has ever been proposed to the current military government. He simply responded: “I’m an outsider and all my life I haven’t been in the business of advising people or making recommendations to the government. But I just speak loudly, and honestly.”Anand Panyarachun’s life path has paralleled theElite+ 15