23 August 2024. Srettha Thavisin, a successful property tycoon and businessman, is going to be Thailand’s new Prime minister. After a decade of military ruling this was an unexpected turn of events to every political aspect.
Strettha officially involved himself in politics on last November. He joined the Pheu Thai party. Which was associated with popular but controversial political figure, Thaksin Shinawatra. Who was the former Prime minister in Thailand.
It was Srettha’s first official attempt in Thai politics. However, it was uncertain what would be the results of this election process under the military appointed senates. Many people thought this day might not come, but Thai politics is said to be progressing on stability with this election as its first step.Â
The 500 members of the parliament who were elected was able to cast their votes alongside the senators, all of whom were appointed by the junta. Their flimsily disguised objective is to prevent any party from challenging the status quo, the alliance of the monarchy, military, and big business that has dominated Thai policy making for decades.
Unsurprisingly, despite the coalition’s overwhelming majority in the lower house, they refused to support it. When it was time for Pheu Thai to establish a new alliance, it had to accept some of its past competitors in order to gain senate backing.
The new Prime minister Srettha Thavisin said on social media that he’s involving himself in politics to improve the country and its economy. The man behind Sansiri, which is the largest property firm, has prioritized the younger citizens to get his message and his thoughts on the journey to betterment.
The eccentric personality of the Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has also caught eyes of people. He posted videos of himself playing football on TikTok as a die-hard Liverpool supporter, urging voters that football and politics are the same as it is not possible to win without team effort. He also gave people hope with messages on environmental protection, LGBTQ rights, education reform, and steps to deal with Thailand’s glaring inequalities.
Srettha Thavisin going to lead Thaksin’s political party
The former Prime Minister of Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra, has returned after 15 years of self-exile. Thaksin was greeted by the supporters on the air port and was given some time to be with his family before police took him to the court, ultimately in prison. Later on, Thaksin was sentenced 8 years of prison. However, a lot of people think he made a bargain to avoid spending the entire time behind bars.
In closer speculation, the question raises why the former PM came back after all this years on the exact same day Srettha and his associated party was elected to lead the country. Thaksin himself said that it was just a coincidence.
Conservative royalists have long feared Thaksin, Thailand’s most prominent elected leader, and have supported military coups and contentious court proceedings to undermine his leadership. He was overthrown by a military uprising in 2006 and proceeded to an exile on his own in 2008.
He was open about his desire to return to Thailand, but the numerous pending criminal cases were what kept him away for so long. But now that the conceited, politically aspirational telecoms tycoon has returned, he has been given an almost immediate eight-year prison sentence for crimes which he claims were politically motivated.
