On The Radar: The trouble with Thailand

The controversial Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who has been suspended from his position since August 24, has this week resumed work after being given the green light by the country’s Constitutional Court.

The suspension came after opposition parties filed a petition with the court claiming the former army chief was appointed prime minister in 2014 and has served a time period beyond the designated eight years.

The court though decided by a 6:3 vote that the new constitution came into effect on April 6, 2017 and the general-turned-PM is well within the limit.

Prayuth was appointed following a military coup in 2014.

The Thai people endured an interminable wait, but when finally a general election was held in 2019, Prayuth emerged the winner.

For many Thais, the possibility he may have been caught out flouting the rules and be made to stand down was a bright spot in what’s been a dull year.

After the ruling, Prayuth wrote on his Facebook account: "I salute the court's ruling and I thank all my beloved Thai people for sending me courage. I will continue to work hard to push our country toward prosperity as we aim to create a better future for our next generations."

The court ruling clears the way for Prayuth to host the APEC forum in November, with a general election expected to called quickly after its conclusion.

The decision on Prayuth’s future comes just as Thailand moves to lift the Covid-19 state of emergency that has been in place for more than two years.

The economic fundamentals of tourism are the main drivers here, with Thailand desperate to welcome back the millions of foreign tourists.  

The state of emergency was highly criticised inside Thailand for being used as a method of banning pro-democracy protests and dissent against the government.

From the very beginning of his rule there was an emphasis on “Thai-style democracy” as well as political reforms that would alter the country’s semi-democratic constitution.

Sweeping powers had an impact on most parts of Thai society, with a special emphasis on dissent and political protest.

Eight years in power and Prayuth now presides over a new kind of Thai nationalism which seeks to put Thailand at the top of the pile in the region.

Along with that comes a healthy dose of xenophobia, and the PM was quick to blame illegal migrants from Myanmar as the virus took hold in the Kingdom.

Although Prayuth remains in charge, many can see the end of his tenure on the horizon. But the damage done to the country will likely take years to rectify. Press freedom has been all but snuffed out, many political institutions have been hopelessly corrupted, and the democratic process itself has been diminished, with opposition politicians jailed or censured.

Thais spent much of the last decade waiting for a general election, and even Prayuth’s middle-class support base began to grow tired of him and a government that has never really moved out of crisis mode.

Thai politics remains vulnerable to military interference, and the all-or-nothing political system that can see opposition groups obliterated post-election. In Thailand, if you lose an election, you lose everything.

Then there is the backroom influence of outside players like former leader Thaksin Shinawatra, still seeking influence and to play their own political games.

Although election rules still favour Prayuth’s military-backed PPP group to retain power, it faces strong competition from the Pheu Thai party, backed by the still-influential Shinawatra, whose allies have won the most seats in every election for the past two decades.

And even if he wins the day, Prayuth will eventually run up against the eight-year time limit in the top job.  

As Thailand sets its sails for the global economic buffeting likely in the next couple of years, many Thais will be hoping an election sometime in the next few months will see the exit of a leader who perhaps made a better soldier than a politician.

- Asia Media Centre