Thailand has a particularly turbulent political history. It's got a lot of beautiful beaches, but it's also got military coups and a monarchy that's central to its national character. It's also one of the few places in the world with lèse majesté laws, which is tricky because their current king is quite a colourful character... A recent protest movement has been in the news a bit lately, and in this episode of Squiz Shortcuts, we'll take a look at why Thailand is unique amongst southeast Asian nations, how its monarchy is protected, and what demonstrators are risking by calling for change to the way the country is governed. Squiz Shortcuts gives you the backstory to the big stories. Check out The Squiz Today email and podcast - published 6 am each weekday, it's your shortcut to the news: https://www.thesquiz.com.au . Squiz Recommends: Vox profile on King Vaijiralongkorn . . The invention of Pad Thai as a national dish .   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.