Thai Vote Spells Danger for Junta and Monarchy
Foreign PolicyMay 22, 2023
On Monday, Thailand's eight prominent political parties signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to form a coalition government under the progressive Move Forward party, the top recipient of votes in the May 14 general election.
The 23-point MoU — which will control 313 seats in the 500-member House of Representatives — reportedly retained several of Move Forward's campaign promises, such as passing a same-sex marriage law, drafting a new constitution, and ending military conscription in peacetime.
Thai voters have stood up to the military junta and repressive monarchy, and it appears the country is on the verge of real democratic progress. After soundly trouncing the royalist, military-backed opponents in the election, a new generation of reformers is ready to establish a government and transition to freedom. Even if challenges to the monarchy are currently on the back burner, the world should be in no doubt that this is the start of a period of immense change for Thailand.
The people of Thailand still love and respect their king, and it was prudent that Move Forward have silenced the radicals and reaffirmed the place of the monarchy in Thai society. Any attempt to denigrate the monarchy will severely backfire, and many of Move Forward's coalition partners are devoted to the institution. The people of Thailand will not stand for insults to their king.