Opinion

Less than 24 hours after the new Paetongtarn Shinawatra was sworn into office in front of the King, anti-government protesters decided to demonstrate in Bangkok yesterday.

In bringing in its longtime nemesis the Democrat Party to the fold as a coalition partner of the new government, PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Thursday calls for people to look into the future and put the bitter past behind.

First, they won the May 2014 general election, but then the Move Forward Party under the leadership of Pita Limjaroenrat failed to form a government. A little over a year later, on August 7, 2024, the party was dissolved by the Constitutional Court for pledging to amend the controversial lese majeste law and Pita, along with ten other party leaders, were banned from politics for 10 years.

Finally, Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been voted by members of parliament as Thailand’s 31st Prime Minister and became the youngest prime minister in Thai history at the age of 37.

Listening to Wednesday’s ruling made by the Constitutional Court as they ordered the dissolution of the main opposition Move Forward Party and ban party executive board members, including the charismatic former leader Pita Limjaroenrat, from politics for 10 years, one asks why the perceived existential threat to the Thai monarchy is so acute?

In the end, the Constitutional Court today acted out of fear, citing eventual concerns that the monarchy institution will be eventually abolished if the main opposition Move Forward

Three more days and we will know on August 7 whether Move Forward Party, the party with 14 million votes behind them, would be dissolved by the Constitutional Court, and their leaders, including the charismatic former leader Pita Limjaroenrat, will be banned from politics for 10 years, for having pledge to reform the royal defamation law.

What a xenophobic, or more accurately a ‘sinophobic’, week for Thailand, particularly Thai netizens. First, was the loud cries of condemnation against a large billboard solely in Chinese language

Finally, ex-convict-cum-former-premier Thaksin Shinawatra will complete his ‘parole’ next month, on August 22 to be exact, the Justice Ministry announced earlier this week.

A press conference held by navy commander Admiral Adung Phan-iam earlier this week to defend the ministry’s decision to go ahead with the purchase of Chinese submarines despite long delay and key alteration where the submarines would not be equipped with the superior German engines was an eye opener.