Pheu Thai, also an opposition party, led by 36-year-old Paetongtarn Shinawatra, took second place with probably around 140 seats. She is the scion of a wealthy political dynasty. Before the election, Peu Thai had been ahead in polls for a long time. The ruling military, which came to power after a coup in 2014, suffered heavy losses. Voter turnout was more than 75 percent, the highest ever.
Limjaroenrat, 42, tweeted that he was ready to become Thailand’s next prime minister. Among other things, his party advocates the abolition of conscription and reform of the monarchy. The Southeast Asian holiday destination probably has the toughest reading majeste law in the world. It provides for extremely long prison sentences for lèse majesté. There have been protests against this for a long time.
Electoral Commission saw no difficulties
“Together we will change the country,” Limjaroenrat continued, adding that he wants to be the head of government for all Thais, whether they support his policies or not. According to observers, however, there is still a long and complicated road ahead.
The general secretary of the electoral commission previously informed the media that the vote went smoothly and that no significant irregularities were apparent. About 52 million Thais were eligible to vote, and more than 90 percent of the approximately 2.3 million people who registered to vote early last week did so.
Senators could turn the tide
Even a landslide victory for the pro-democracy parties does not guarantee a clear path to power: According to a constitution promulgated in 2017, the 250 senators appointed by the military, together with the 500 elected members of the lower house, are allowed to decide on the next prime minister.
And so the incumbent Prime Minister and coup general Chan-o-cha or another party close to the military could theoretically lead a minority government despite the election failure. The Bangkok Post newspaper commented, “While we hope the Senate honors the spirit of democracy by respecting the rule of majority voting, comments from some senators suggest stormy days ahead.”
In addition, some of the leading parties had nominated several candidates for the post of head of government. According to electoral rules, it can take up to two months for the Electoral Commission to confirm members of the House of Commons. The joint chambers will then meet to elect the country’s next leadership.
High awareness of democracy among young people
Many in the country long for change. Many Thais are demanding more democratic rights and progress in their country. “Especially among young people, awareness of democracy seems to have increased in recent years,” Celine Caro, head of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) office in Thailand, told dpa.
They observed very closely whether the electoral process was respected and whether the new government ultimately reflected the preferences of the voters. Whether it will remain peaceful, nobody knows at the moment. “The weeks after the election will show whether a consolidation of democracy in Thailand is possible,” said Caro.
Economy campaign issue, climate less so
The topic that has moved people in the country the most and that largely dominated the election campaign is the economy. According to the World Bank, Thailand can expect growth of 3.6 percent this year, but this will mainly be driven by the recovery of the stricken tourism industry after the CoV pandemic. Many market vendors, factory workers and farmers no longer know how to make ends meet. The gap between rich and poor is also widening in Thailand.
Environment and climate were issues that went unnoticed in the election campaign. Because despite smog caused by fires, record-breaking heat waves and increasing flooding, green movements have so far found little support among Thailand’s voters. Thailand’s Greens received less than one percent of the vote in the 2019 election.
The northern city of Chiang Mai, popular with backpackers, even gained notoriety this year when it overtook Beijing and New Delhi on the list of cities with the worst air quality. Thailand and Southeast Asia in general are among the regions most vulnerable to climate change. According to a 2022 climate report by the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, 66 percent of Thais believed that the parties did not rate climate change highly enough.
