Thailand’s Political Choice

The article analyzes the specifics of the current stage of Thailand’s political development, taking into account the configuration of political forces after the parliamentary elections held in May 2023. Despite the victory of the Move Forward party there was no movement forward in the democratic transit of power in the country. The traditional political establishment, adhering to the ideology of “Thai-style democracy”, based on the concept of hierarchical subordination of society headed by the king, used the institutions remaining at its disposal to protect its interests and prevent the strengthening of the influence of pro-democratic forces on politics. The article examines the factors of the growing popularity of the party Move Forward, whose political platform meets the social demand of young voters who advocate political reforms in the country, including the reform of the institution of the monarchy. The impossibility of holding them today is explained by the opposition of governing political forces including the previously considered lobbyist for representative democracy, the Phea Thai Party. However, the political positions of both the new Prime Minister, Sretta Tavisin, a representative of the Phea Thai Party, and the party itself depend on the policy being pursued to increase public confidence, which explains the populism of their economic program, which, according to the author, does not change the content of the competitive autocracy regime.

Thailand, “Thai-style democracy”, parliamentary democracy, authoritarianism, political parties