Thailand's general election held on Sunday saw a sweeping victory for opposition parties, as voters rejected the military-backed establishment that has ruled since the 2014 coup. With a record-high turnout, the electorate has called for change, setting the stage for a potentially dramatic showdown as parties jostle for coalition support to form a government under a junta-era constitution that still gives the military significant sway. With over 99% of votes counted, the progressive Move Forward party is projected to win 151 seats, with populist Pheu Thai in second place with 141 seats. This puts the opposition far ahead of the party of incumbent Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who led the 2014 coup.
Move Forward's leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, tweeted his readiness to assume leadership, saying, "our beloved Thailand can be better, and change is possible if we start today." He also invited Pheu Thai and other opposition parties to form an alliance against Prayut. Pita, a Harvard alumni with a business background, said the party would go forward with plans to amend the country's strict lese majeste laws, a key campaign pledge despite the taboo surrounding any discussion of the royal family in Thailand.
The unofficial result delivers a damning verdict against Thailand's military-backed establishment and traditionalist forces who were routed in the popular vote. However, it is not clear who will take power, as the military establishment maintains a huge say in who can lead, even if they lose the popular vote. To elect the next prime minister and form a government, a party - or coalition - must win a majority of the combined 750-seat lower and upper houses of parliament. But under the junta-era constitution, Thailand's 250-seat senate is chosen entirely by the military, meaning it will likely vote for a pro-military candidate.
Sunday's election saw political juggernaut Pheu Thai go up against parties backed by the country's powerful conservative establishment, which has historically supported candidates connected to the military, monarchy, and ruling elites. Pheu Thai is the party of the billionaire Shinawatra family, a political dynasty headed by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. His daughter, 36-year-old Paetongtarn, contested the election as one of three prime ministerial candidates for Pheu Thai.
This year also saw the emergence of the Move Forward party as an electrifying new political force, with its campaign including a radical national reform agenda. It pledged structural changes to the military, the economy, the decentralization of power, and even reforms to the previously untouchable monarchy. It proved hugely popular among Thailand's young people, who felt they had been forgotten through almost a decade of military-led or backed rule. The election was the first since youth-led mass pro-democracy protests in 2020 demanded democratic and military reforms, constitutional change, and curbs on the powers of the monarchy.