Village Scouts

An original neckerchief of a village scout, dated prior to the Thammasat University Massacre

Village Scouts (Thai: ลูกเสือชาวบ้าน, RTGS: Luksuea Chaoban) is the common name of a right-wing, ultranationalist social movement[1] and paramilitary militia of volunteers from rural Thailand. It is a countrywide organization that the King and Queen of Thailand have sponsored since 1972 in order to promote national unity.[2] It was first founded by the Thai Border Patrol Police (BPP) under the aegis of the Ministry of Interior.[3]

  1. ^ Bowie, Katherine A. (2005), "The State and the Right Wing: The Village Scout Movement in Thailand", Social Movements: An Anthropological Reader, Blackwell Publishing, pp. 46–65
  2. ^ Muecke, Marjorie (1980). "The Village Scouts of Thailand". Asian Survey. 20 (4): 407–427. doi:10.2307/2643866. JSTOR 2643866.
  3. ^ Streckfuss, David (2011), Truth on Trial in Thailand: Defamation, Treason and Lèse-majesté, Routledge, pp. 213–214