[Prime Minister] Abhisit [Vejjajiva] added that Thais are fortunate as they are guided by King Bhumibol Adulyadej of his Sufficiency Economy principles a philosophy that guides the livelihood of people based on moderation and reasonableness. The principles helped Thailand coping with corruption and passing through the world’s economic recession, he added.

– Extracted from “Thai PM asks Thais to resist corruption”, People’s Daily, 10 November 2010.

Some of you may recall that there was a time when New Mandala touched on the notion of “sufficiency economy” almost every single day. While it has somewhat faded as a core concept in Thai political discussions, Prime Minister Abhisit’s remarks suggest that invocations of “sufficiency” remain potent and useful.

At the same time, other methods of endorsing royal status and priorities continue to serve their purposes.