Thailand's Aviation Downgrade Contributes to Junta's Many Tourism Woes

Thailand, once a poster child for democracy and freedom in turbulent Southeast Asia, has careened over the past two years from one image disaster to the next. First a military coup. Then revelations of slaves in the seafood industry and other human trafficking horrors. In August, a deadly bomb struck central Bangkok. And now, the United States has declared Thailand's aviation industry unsafe, striking at the heart of one of its biggest success stories, tourism. The cascade of bad news is striking even against the backdrop of a decade of political upheaval in Thailand. Like the repeated scandals over Thailand's role in human trafficking, the safety downgrade revealed years of official neglect and complicity. The stiff generals who seized power last year vowed to clean up a misruled Thailand. But as problems mount on the junta's watch, their ability to rule effectively is increasingly in doubt. "Thailand is used to having a great image in the world. Thai food, fun people, smiles and a fairytale monarchy," said Michael Montesano, a Thailand expert at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore. "That image is fading and it's not clear what the image will be in the future." After mass protests toppled a military government in 1992, Thailand for years after was touted as a beacon of progress in a