![]() ![]() ![]() To speculate further, Thais may feel that the military’s job in overseeing a monarchical transition from Rama IX to Rama X is well and truly now complete. Since then, the Thai people have grown tired of his autocratic style of rule, short temper and mediocre management of the economy. Prayuth has been prime minister since May 2014, when as a military officer he undertook a coup against Yingluck Shinawatra’s democratically elected government. The dramatic decline in support for Thailand’s military-aligned, incumbent government likely reflects a general sentiment among the Thai people that it was simply time for the military to go. Democratic institutions have taken a battering in the region in recent years, with Myanmar’s 2021 coup and Cambodia’s turn to increasingly autocratic rule under Hun Sen. This could be transformational for all of Southeast Asia – especially the countries on the mainland. The formation of a new government trenchantly opposed to the involvement of the military in politics seems logical, potentially ushering in a new progressive, democratic era in Thai politics, with Pita as the new prime minister. ![]() Pita Limjaroenrat greets supporters during the final election campaign rally ahead of the election in Bangkok. ![]()
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