The rise of the new middle classes in Southeast Asia has brought about important transformations in various countries - politically, socially, economically, and culturally - while producing new 'East Asian lifestyles' that transcend national boundaries and causing the reorganisation of urban space.Based on the framework of comparative politics, this study examines the regional significance of the growth of the middle classes after the economic crisis in 1997-1998. It pays special attention to the conditions which led to the fall of Thailand's Thaksin government as a consequence of a military coup.From the international relations point of view, this collective work by Southeast Asian specialists also uses abundant data to unravel the regionalisation of the cultural industry across East Asia.