112WATCH interviews Neti Vichiensan, first-wave Thai refugee, on his decade of exile

In this candid reflection, he moves beyond the simple optimism of the post-2006 coup era to recognise the profound structural and cultural hurdles facing Thai democracy. Vichiensan likens the 2020–2021 youth protests to merely "breaking through a roof" when a full "cathedral" needs to be built—a task he believes Thailand currently lacks the critical mass to achieve. While he remains skeptical about a return home as long as Article 112 persists, his definition of "home" has evolved from a geographic location to any place where safety and freedom are guaranteed.