Thailand 2023-2024: A general election and its contested aftermath

The Thai biennium 2023-2024 opened with the prospect of democratic change, as in 2023 citizens were able to vote in a general election. While the outcome spelled the end of military rule after the two consecutive premierships of retired General Prayuth Chan-ocha, the Army-drafted constitution of 2017 inhibited the smooth functioning of participatory politics. Move Forward, a recently established party with a progressive outlook and a defiant stance toward military and élite groups, won, but was prevented from forming a government. Lengthy negotiations relegated it to the opposition, favouring instead the Pheu Thai Party, which represented the legacy of the charismatic ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra. Less ideologically committed, the Phue Thai Government proved willing to compromise with the status quo – a strategy deemed pragmatic by supporters, and self-serving by critics. The new administration additionally took a controversial approach with regard to foreign policy, showing openness to the governments of Myanmar and Russia, in continuity with previous military administrations. Economic recovery under the Pheu Thai Government remained slow, also hindered by an alarming rise in household debt and massive floods in 2024.