P - rospects & P erspectives O

This is why tension and confrontation will underpin the Thai political scene in the medium and longer term until this chasm between the old guard and the new gen is resolved. [...] The Pheu Thai- led government led by Paetongtarn Shinawatra, under her father Thaksin’s watch after his return from exile in August 2023 in a deal with the royalist establishment, will be hard pressed to implement its 10,000 baht digital wallet for each of 50 million Thais to boost consumption, a “land-bridge” to link the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea, “soft power” projects, and free-trade. [...] 55 October 8, 2024 In fact, the reforms back then elicited adversaries in the bureaucracy who conspired with the palace and military to bring him down. [...] Such independence enabled Thailand to deftly navigate Western imperialism through the two world wars and the Cold War, choosing the victorious sides each time (and playing off both sides in the Second World War). [...] (Thitinan Pongsudhirak is Professor at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Political Science and a senior fellow at its Institute of Security and International Studies in Bangkok.) Editor’s Note: The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the policy or the position of the Prospect Foundation.