This paper, based on an analysis of quantitative survey data, reexamines the stereotype of
the Thai “middle class” as a homogeneous elite class at loggerheads with the lower strata.
Our results support the contention that the Thai middle classes are, in fact, of mixed
social origins, and suggest that their process of emergence is characterized by the fact
that a large number have risen from the lower urban strata. We argue that because of
these characteristics, the social consciousness of the Thai middle classes is more complex
than the stereotyped explanation, and contains elements that cannot be fully explained
by a perspective based on class theory.