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This research topic is a study to understand important role of giant business group in contemporary Thai political economy. I explored Big Four Telecoms such as TelecomAsia, TT&T- Jusmin International, UCOM and SHIN are case for understand how they involved and in case of SHIN how they enter politics. I found that both economic crisis and new constitution in 1997 gave a significant chance to specifically SHIN entering the central of power as government. Later on, under Thaksin premiership, he established new political power with his new political economy alliances-big business groups such as another telecom groups, Banking, real estate, entertainment and mass media groups. While he also promoted his class mate both in Armed Forces Academy preparatory and police cadet school as top ranks in army, navy, air force and police for political purposes. Ironically, Thaksin is a pioneer of Populism in Thailand. He also is the first prime minister since the first constitution for people launched in 1997. But his new political and economic establishments and his political goals had been proved as dangerous for democratization. How the ironic story happen ?

I have been doing fieldwork in and around Thongmakhsan since the summer of 1977 when another graduate student and I joined Paul Durrenberger, my supervisor, and his wife in the village. In this lecture, I trace two parallel histories: that of Thongmakhsan and my relationship with it. There have been many changes in Thongmakhsan since 1977: the number of households have increased from 42 to around 90; people no longer make rice swiddens (slash and burn fields); garlic has become a major crop; the village school closed but some Thongmakhsan children go to college; water buffalos have been replaced by walking tractors; there is electricity; and a new generation is in the process of replacing the old one. Similarly, my relationship with the village and the villagers have changed through time: I am no longer a stranger; village life is not “new” to me anymore; I used to know everyone, now because of the influx of refugees from the Shan state, I no longer do; on every trip, I learn more and more about a smaller section of the community; people I have been close to have died; I am a "grandmother,"and have sons and grandchildren; people who were children when I was first there in 1977 now have children; I thought I understood the community and my place in it but am now less sure of both my understanding and my place in Thongmakhsan. I explore both of these intertwined histories, tracing these connections to the local village, provincial, and international contexts. In conclusion I discuss the contributions that long term fieldwork makes for anthropology and the affects this has on the anthropologist.