THAILAND, A NATION of 43 million people, is one of the few countries in Southeast Asia which has not possessed an ongoing labor movement. Until May 1972 labor associations had not been permitted to exist on a formal basis for almost fourteen years, since October 1958, when they had been banned by Marshal Sarit after he had taken control of the government by coup. Although Thailand earlier (1932-1958) had organizations that called themselves labor unions, it is questionable whether Thailand, in fact, has until recently ever had a true labor movement.' A coup on October 6, 1976 by a military government less tolerant of unions than its democratic predecessor has again posed the question of the viability of the Thai labor movement. artistocracy and since 1932 from the military, has been traditionally