Par­ty once op­posed to mil­i­tary gov­ern­ment gets mil­i­tary back­ing to form new ad­min­is­tra­tion. Published on 23 August 2023. Thailand’s democracy enters another phase just as a towering political figure from its past returns from exile. Thaksin Shinawatra was whisked from the airport to prison to start serving an eight-year sentence. But there is strong speculation that he and his Pheu Thai party have an arrangement with the powerful military for his return and for the formation of a new government. The Move Forward party, which won May’s election, is meanwhile sidelined. The country’s democracy has been fragile – with governments overthrown by the generals who remain in overall control. So what’s next for Thailand? And what will the public reaction be to the latest political manoeuvres? Presenter: Laura Kyle Guests: Punchada Sirivunnabood – Specialist on Thailand’s electoral system and an associate professor at Mahidol University Duncan McCargo – Professor of public policy and global affairs at Nanyang Technological University and co-author of, The Thaksinisation of Thailand Kasit Piromya – Former foreign minister of Thailand, Democrat Party politician and former Yellow Shirts activist

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