By Gregory B. Poling & Nicole Smolinske — Yesterday, Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej, or Rama IX, died after reigning for 70 years. He was 88 years old and had been in failing health for the past five years, rarely leaving…
By Khine Thant Thailand’s military government said in September that it will embark on a new set of economic policies as frustrations with a slowing economy among farmers in Thailand’s northeast have grown since the military coup in May 2014.…
By Zachary Abuza A drought in the middle of monsoon season brought on by the El Niño effect has affected farmers across Southeast Asia, hampering economic growth and exacerbating political tensions between urban elites and farmers. Though rains have recently…
In this week’s podcast, we take a deep dive on the difficulties in United States-Thailand relations since the May 2014 coup. We sat down with Sumitro Chair Fellow Gregory Poling to discuss the challenges that Thailand’s swerve away from democracy has created…
By George Abonyi The United States has taken a strong stand against the Thai coup in May 2014. This may be consistent with the U.S. position on military coups, and with popular sentiment sympathetic to shared democratic values in other…
By Phuong Nguyen As President Barack Obama and his team seek to shore up the rebalance to Asia in the president’s final year in office, it makes sense for them to devote more energy to relations with Thailand. Bilateral ties…
By Hunter Marston The impeachment of former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra signals a troubling new phase in Thailand’s political stalemate. After two weeks of rushed hearings before a military-appointed legislature, the National Assembly on January 23 voted 190-18 to impeach…
Who is he? General Prawit Wongsuwan, 68, served as minister of defense in the government of Abhisit Vejjajiva from 2008 to 2011 and was the commander of the Royal Thai Army from 2004 to 2005. He is a well-known figure…
By Noelan Arbis Thailand’s political unrest is now entering its fifth month, but a solution remains out of sight. Since early November, anti-government protesters have occupied government offices, temporarily shut down parts of Bangkok, and blocked people from voting in…
Ongoing political unrest in Thailand has imposed serious economic and political costs on the country. Although Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has called for snap elections to be held on February 2, the opposition Democrat Party has yet to decide whether…