A showdown between the country’s conservative government and the powerful Shinawatra family is expected in the parliamentary elections in Thailand on May 14.
36-year-old Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the colorful daughter of the country’s ousted former leader, is one of the main candidates for the opposition Pheu Thai party.
In the parliamentary elections, the ruling Palang Pracharath Party and the right-wing populist Bhumjaithai Party are pitted against each other. Incumbent Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha, who seized power in a military coup in 2014, also announced in January that he is running for the newly formed Phak Ruam Thai Sang Chart party.
Military coup or not?
The big question is whether the military can manage to stay out of politics this time. According to the Australian think tank Lowy Institute, it would be historic for Thailand’s fragile democracy.
Since the revolution in 1932, Thailand has had military rule in various ways for over 60 years, largely due to the 19 different coup attempts the country has experienced.
Thai politics is seen by many as a struggle between royalist and military-backed parties and the democratic and reformist opposition.
“New generation of politicians”
But ahead of this year’s election, the tone is more hopeful than ever. After the big youth protests of 2020, a new generation of politicians has started to take more and more space and the popularity of the military has also decreased among the population.
– In recent years, they have received harsh criticism for corruption and abuse of power. So even if there is a risk of another coup attempt, I don’t think we will see any more after the election, says Professor Prajak Kongkirati, professor of political science at Thammasat University.
Watch the timeline of Thailand’s checkered journey to democracy in the video above.