The Thai Political Soap Opera: A Royalist Counterattack?
July 18, 2025
Writing on the Global Asia Forum, Pavin Chachavalpongpun analyzes the recent turbulent events in Thai politics, arguing that they collectively represent a calculated counterattack by the conservative, royalist establishment. Focusing on the rejection of a broad amnesty bill (specifically excluding Article 112 cases), the revival of Thaksin Shinawatra's lèse-majesté charge, the suspension of Paetongtarn Shinawatra's premiership, and the deterioration of Thailand-Cambodia relations, the article posits that these seemingly disparate incidents are part of a systematic effort to consolidate power and marginalize the Shinawatra family and their political allies.
The article concludes that while the establishment appears to be gaining the upper hand in this political "soap opera," this comes at a significant cost to Thailand's democratic aspirations and its international standing, with underlying tensions for democratic change persisting.
