Based on hundreds of interviews, this is the absorbing story of one of Thailand’s most influential figures. Against a backdrop of political coups and violence, Cold War intrigue, and regional conflict, Anand Panyarachun reached the pinnacle of Thailand’s foreign service, and twice served as an unelected prime minister. Throughout his varied life, his frankness and integrity set him apart, traits that derailed his diplomatic career entirely at one point, but then led him to become the international face of a country that has encountered frequent crises. In this comprehensive biography, veteran journalist Dominic Faulder describes Anand’s formative years in a still bucolic Bangkok and postwar England, his long tenure in North America as permanent representative to the United Nations and ambassador to the US, his unexpected terms as prime minister, his vital role in the attempt to bring lasting constitutional reform to Thailand, and more. Revealing new details on key moments in modern Thai history, Anand Panyarachun and the Making of Modern Thailand also presents Anand’s recollections and views on everything from the Vietnam War to relations with China, royalism and ways forward for Thailand's struggling political system.