Triple Trouble in Thailand under the Premiership of Paethongtarn Shinawatra

Thursday September 26
5:00-6:30 PM
Lafayette Conference Room
105 East 17th Street

Triple Trouble in Thailand under the Premiership of Paethongtarn Shinawatra

A Talk by Pavin Chachavalpongpun

New York University

26 September, 17:00 hrs.

In August, Thailand encountered “a triple trouble” that once again shook the Thai political foundation: The dissolution of the pro-reform Move Forward Party, the forced resignation of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, and an outstanding lèse-majesté charge against Thaksin Shinawatra, former prime minister. These three cases pointed to the fact that Thai politics has persistently been controlled by extra-parliamentary institutions, most prominently by the Thai judiciaries. But the Thai judiciaries did not operate independently, rather on behalf of the monarchy. This talk will discuss the continued political intervention of the extra-parliamentary institutions to defend their political interests. It also discusses the implications of the dissolution of the Move Forward Party at the order of the Constitutional Court, the fragile government of the Pheu Thai Party, and the dialectical relationship between Thaksin and King Vajiralongkorn. The rise to the premiership of Paethongtarn Shinawatra, the youngest daughter of Thaksin, could either restore political stability, or further complicate Thai politics. This talk will offer a future outlook of the Thai political landscape under the leadership of Paethongtarn.

About the speaker:

Pavin Chachavalpongpun is professor at Kyoto University’s Center for Southeast Asian Studies. Earning his PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies, Pavin is the chief editor of the online journal “Kyoto Review of Southeast Asia,” in which all articles are translated from English into Japanese, Thai, Bahasa Indonesia, Filipino, Vietnamese and Burmese. He is the author and editor of several books including the latest “Rama X: The Thai Monarchy under King Vajiralongkorn” (Yale 2023), which was banned by the Thai government prior to its publication. Following the 2014 coup in Thailand, Pavin was summoned and requested to have his “attitude adjusted.” He rejected the summons. As a result, a warrant was issued for his arrest and his passport was revoked, forcing him to apply for refugee with Japan.

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Host or Publisher New York Southeast Asia Network