Is time up for Thailand’s junta after Watchgate scandal?
The decision to delay a general election until next year buys time for the military to galvanise support but analysts say the damage may already be done
No surprises here – for the third time since the Thai military led by General Prayuth Chan-ocha took power in a 2014 coup, a planned general election to restore democracy has been postponed.
The decision on Thursday by the junta-appointed legislature to delay the vote means polls will now probably be held in early 2019 instead of November as promised by Prayuth last year.
Thai political observers say they had anticipated the fresh delay – a time-buying tactic for Prayuth to galvanise more public support to retain power post-election – but the snowballing scandal surrounding a collection of luxury watches belonging to his deputy, General Prawit Wongsuwon, could seriously scuttle those ambitions.
Since December, Prawit has come under intense public scrutiny after an internet sleuth calling himself “CSI-LA” started highlighting photos of the defence minister wearing opulent time pieces that were in all likelihood too expensive for a career soldier to own.
Other social media users soon joined in and uncovered Prawit had been spotted in public wearing some 25 luxury watches, worth a collective US$1.2 million.
Social media users poured scorn on Prawit’s excuse that he had borrowed the watches from friends – and in a departure from the climate of chilled dissent under junta rule, civil society activists and politicians have begun lobbing near-daily public criticism at Prayuth for his inaction.