Opinion

The issue of the Thai National Day, or the lack thereof, depending on whom you ask, continues to trouble the psyche of some Thais.

With the parliament to reconvene on July 3, the voting for the new prime minister is not too far away now. Some prominent junta-appointed senators continue to claim that Move Forward Party PM candidate Pita Limjaroenrat will not be getting their support, or enough votes, and the possibility that Pita will not be chosen as the next PM is a lingering fear.

The Move Forward Party is new, and it has never been in power before. The  unknown factor has driven some to fear what is to come when (and if) the party is in charge, particularly if you are the elites and the upper middle class for the following reasons.

A farce, a charade, a travesty of justice, ludicrous, shambolic, and absurd – these are some of the words described the reactions of some Thais and foreigners upon learning that the Election Commission on Friday has consider to take up the case on whether Move Forward Party PM candidate Pita Limjaroenrat has violated Article 151 of the election laws by holding ITV media shares.

While one junta-appointed senator after another takes turn to publicly announce they would not vote for Move Forward Party PM candidate Pita Limjaroenrat as the next PM due to the party’s pledge to reform the lese majeste law, two troubling issues related to the law itself surfaced over the past week.

Former silver-screen superstar Jarunee Suksawat’s warning earlier this week that Thais may become “slaves of America” attracted frontpage news in many media and many readers, particularly young readers, who found it ludicrous and hilarious.

The Pheu Thai Party Headquarters early on the election night was unusually mute unlike four years ago as early poll results showed the party was neck-to-neck against rival opposition Move Forward Party.

No matter what the results of today’s general election will be, there are at least three issues Thais will have to grapple with that...

Despite Army Chief Gen Narongpan Jitkaewthae reassurance a few months ago that the army is impartial when it comes to politics and Sunday’s general election, the Royal Thai Army on Friday released what appeared to be their theme song for the voters to consider.

Recently, Prayut Chan-o-cha reckoned himself as the “pilot” who was behind the helms of a metaphorical “Air Thailand” for eight years, symbolizing his supposed competency of running the country for so long.