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Move Forward won the most seats at last year’s election but was blocked by the unelected senators, whose terms have now expired, from putting together a pro-democracy coalition government. The party’s erstwhile ally, the Pheu Thai Party, which finished second, then teamed up with the military-backed parties and installed Srettha in the top job.
Now, Srettha is gone too.
Supporters and observers of Thai politics saw the blocking of Move Forward and its later termination as symptomatic of a system stacked in favour of military, royal and elite interests.
Srettha’s cabinet will remain in place as caretaker until parliament selects a new prime minister. The ruling on Wednesday opens the door for Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the daughter of Thaksin Shinawatra, the billionaire figurehead of Pheu Thai. Thaksin recently returned to Thailand after years in exile.
The political instability has spooked investors in South-East Asia’s second-largest economy. The government has estimated GDP growth of just 2.7 per cent for 2024, behind its regional peers, and its sharemarket has been performing poorly.
More to come
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