This is a review of what the IMF did, who got hurt, what worked and what failed in the economic and social management of Thailand's economic crisis. It shows how political change got bound up with economic crisis, resulting in a new constitution, a seismic shift in the political landscape and greater asssertiveness by civil society. It examines how the economic turmoil changed the ways people reacted to political scandal, viewed their own society and imagined their future. The final chapters review the changes and lessons from 1997-2000 and speculate on how these changes will frame the future.