The blundering soldiers who deposed Thailand's prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, in 2006 seem at last to have got something right. This week saw the restoration of an elected government following last month's election. Barring further mishap, the country seems back on the road to liberal multiparty democracy. This would be good news for the 65m Thais and would set an encouraging example for their fellow half-billion South East Asians and the billion or more Chinese to their north. None of this, however, implies that Thailand's generals are enlightened guardians who served the national interest; still less that their coup was justified.
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