Thai PM Prayuth’s growing unpopularity fuels talk of early election as opposition eyes face-off with royalists
- Amid talk of polls due 2023 will be called early, Thailand’s reformist parties are gearing up to challenge the military-royalist establishment
- But regime change will be an uphill battle and as long as Thailand sees democracy as a threat, its ties with the US will lag those with China, an analyst says
Strict Covid-19 lockdowns and the massive hit to Thailand’s tourism-reliant economy have sparked street protests, worsening public discontent with the military-backed royalist establishment.
The government has cracked down on opposition parties and pushed back against calls for Prayuth’s resignation, and reforms to the monarchy and the constitution to allow for more democracy.
Now, Prayuth’s political future is being called into question amid speculation that an election – which only needs to be held by 2023 – is imminent.
This talk has been fuelled by rifts within the military-backed ruling party, Palang Pracharath, after Prayuth tried to oust cabinet member Thammanat Prompao from his position as the party’s secretary general. Prayuth barely survived a no-confidence vote in September reportedly due to his growing unpopularity and Thammanat’s back-door dealings.