Speaking to Asia Sentinel on the Bhumjaithai Party bolting from the Thai government yesterday. While I think this is all really about who will control the Ministry of Interior, the leaked Cambodia tape gave Anutin the opportunity to package his departure in Thai nationalist terms…
“Leaving the government on such overtly political grounds would look rather unseemly,” said Phil Robertson, director of the NGO Asia Human Rights and Labor Advocates. “Enter Paetongtarn, the disparagingly termed ‘interim prime minister,’ with a massive misstep in the conversation with Hun Sen, which was deliberately leaked by the Cambodian side.”
The gaffe gifted Anutin with an overtly nationalist, pro-Siam, pro-military rationale to exit the coalition. The 58-year-old Anutin is now said to be working to unite the forces aligned with the royalty and the urban oligarchs to bring down the government, which continues in power with a razor-thin majority while Thaksin, 75-year-old godfather of Thai politics, attempts to shore up his forces.
“It’s not clear that this is a knockout blow, but Paetongtarn and her government are clearly staggered and on the ropes,” Robertson said. “When small parties like the Democrats, who until recently were in the political wilderness due to their dismal showing in the May 2023 elections, suddenly emerge as coalition kingmakers, you know that instability will be the new government reality.”
https://lnkd.in/dyymmcRU
— Read on www.linkedin.com/posts/philip-robertson-jr-437972b1_thai-government-near-collapse-on-premiers-activity-7341737172758102017-AtbQ