Many international commentators on the Thai political crisis paint the protesters on the streets of Bangkok as illegitimate (e.g. Kurt Campbell, Tom Plate, and Charlie Campbell). By doing so, they imply that Thaksin Shinawatra and his sister’s elected government are saviors of Thai democracy. The truth is much more complex. Resorting to such a simplistic and myopic analysis is an example of what Michael Vatikiotis, regional director for Asia of Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, calls “the tyranny of global commentary.”