This article investigates the performance of identity and the concept of a ‘good’ leader reflected in the discourse of the former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a controversial yet significant politician in Thai contemporary politics. The analysis focuses on how Thaksin constructed his political self, and how it redefined the Thai political field and the relevant practices. The article traces the discursive construction of his political identity in the radio program PM Thaksin talks to the people aired in 2001–2005. The findings indicate that Thaksin’s discourse constructed an ambivalent political identity through heterogeneity and dynamic use of ‘we’. Various mechanism of legitimization secured his popularity and created a lasting bond with the people. The discussion argues that while the discourse projecting a leadership style that is both confident and defiant strengthened the bond between Thaksin and his supporters, it increasingly pushed the ‘others’ away, leading to a growing ideological gap and later an adversarial sense among Thais, a fracture that still dominates the contemporary Thai political and social landscape.

中文翻译：

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泰国有争议的政体和政治两极分化：他信后的反思

本文调查了前总理他信·西那瓦 (Thaksin Shinawatra) 的话语中所反映的身份表现和“好”领导人的概念，他信·西那瓦是泰国当代政治中有争议但意义重大的政治家。分析的重点是他信如何构建自己的政治自我，以及它如何重新定义泰国政治领域和相关实践。这篇文章追溯了他在 2001 年至 2005 年播出的广播节目 PM 他信与人民谈话中对他的政治身份的话语建构。研究结果表明，他信的话语通过异质性和动态使用“我们”构建了一种矛盾的政治身份。各种合法化机制确保了他的声望，并与人民建立了持久的联系。