I find this article extremely interesting.

 

Definitely things I did not know.

 

I wonder how many find this enlightening?

 

Certainly some things that explain the current society.

 

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/374504/we-beat-out-rivals-forfamily-ties

The article was rather short and sketchy but the fact that many of the Thai politicians come from a long line of politicians isn't at all surprising to me.  Happens all over the world too (the rich and elite tend to get and keep those jobs - sometimes because they simply have a popular name and sometimes just due to their wealth).  In the US, there's the Bush clan, Kennedys, Rockefellers, etc.

 

For Kings, I think the Chakri dynasty is the currently the world's longest serving dynasty.  Even up here in the boonies, the Lanna Kings had about a 600-year run (interrupted rather abrasively by about 200 years of Burmese rule).  But I'm guessing that Egypt, Persia, and even China had longer runs.  

You are right about tendency of the  elite to keep those positions in the family .

 

While percentage in US is lower . as per article,  than in other nepotic countries their position on the list along with Thailand, Argentina,  Phillippines and Japan is more worrying as USA are seemingly old and entrenched democracy as opposite to former autocracies,  fresh to the democratic principles. Eventually this will lead to erosion of democracy there and it will not  be pretty if human  history has any lessons for contemporaries.

 

As for monarchic issues HM King is currently  the world's longest serving monarch but world longest currently serving dynasty is  in Denmark, with their uninterrupted rule stretching back to A.D. 950 with Gorm The Old enthroned.  

The Japanese certainly claim the oldest dynasty still in existence. If they  are to be believed, their monarchy traces a continuous line of descent going back 2,600 years or so.
 

 

with their uninterrupted rule stretching back to A.D. 950 with Gorm The Old enthroned.

 

Wow! Just imagine how much more impressive this record would be if he'd got the job while he was still Gorm the Young! (Sorry - couldn't resist that)

The Japanese certainly claim the oldest dynasty still in existence. If they  are to be believed, their monarchy traces a continuous line of descent going back 2,600 years or so.

 

Wow! Just imagine how much more impressive this record would be if he'd got the job while he was still Gorm the Young! (Sorry - couldn't resist that)

Probably not that much, these days people did not live that  long, 50 was old already. Scandinavians liked to give fancy names to their kings, my favourite is Harald Bluetooth, Gorm succesor