Thailand
Thailand exhibits low-range performance across two categories of the Global State of Democracy framework: Rights and Rule of Law; it performs in the mid-range in Representation and Participation. It is among the bottom 25 per cent of countries with regard to several factors of democratic performance. Over the last five years, Thailand has experienced notable drops in Freedom of Movement and Economic Equality, though it has seen advances in nearly all factors of Representation. These improvements have largely been due to the openings that preceded the 2023 election. It is home to Southeast Asia’s second largest economy, which depends on a diverse range of industries, including tourism, export-oriented manufacturing, and agricultural products.
Unlike its neighbours, Thailand was never directly colonized. It was instead ruled by an absolute monarchy until 1932, when a revolution resulted in a constitutional monarchy. Since then, the country has alternated between military and civilian rule, and the military, the economic elite and the monarchy remain closely interlinked. Over the past decade, the most noteworthy developments include the 2014 military coup that ended a period of democratization (1992-2006) and the opening of political and civic space since 2018. Since 2014, Thailand had been under military rule, which exerted total control of the political process thanks to a tailor-made constitution designed to cement the armed forces’ grip on power. Protests in 2020-2021 demanded restraining the power of the military and, for the first time in modern Thailand, of the monarch. Military rule and the King’s support of the former remain the main obstacles for democratization. The 2023 election signaled a potential turning point, as opposition parties emerged victorious. However, conservative and military influences persist in shaping the political landscape, as seen in attempts to block the election winner from forming a government and subsequent dissolution threats.
The dominant ethnic group is Thai (98 per cent), followed by Burmese (1 per cent) and other groups, including the Chinese and the Malay Muslim minorities. Chinese minorities play an especially influential role in business and politics. Separately, some Malay Muslims have influenced dynamics in the South, where there have been separatist tensions. Yet, Thai nationalism and assimilation have – to a certain extent - diluted the differences amongst the various communities. The country is largely Theravada Buddhist, except in the southern regions, where Sunni Islam is predominant. Throughout the twentieth century, the southern part of the country has experienced intermittent violence, with separatist groups challenging the central authority. At the beginning of the 2000s, these tensions resurged as armed groups with more Salafist-oriented demands have gained more power. The conflict remains unresolved, although attempts at negotiation have taken place in recent years.
Despite advancements in gender equality within education and workforce participation, challenges remain in addressing gender-based violence, wage gaps and low female representation in politics. In June 2024, Thailand became the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize same-sex marriage.
Looking ahead, it will be important to watch Rights, especially as the country continues to grapple with restrictions on the freedom of expression related to the royal defamation law. Rule of Law will also need to be monitored in line with ongoing efforts to reform or replace the 2017 military-drafted constitution with a more democratic one – a process which would require three referendums. Key areas to watch include Representation relating to eventual electoral system changes such as reducing the power of the Senate, amongst other things.
Last updated: June 2024
https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/
February 2025
Thailand forcibly deports forty Uyghurs to China
On 27 February, Thai authorities deported at least 40 Uyghur detainees to China after having detained them for over a decade. The decision has been widely condemned by rights experts and the United Nations, citing concern that those forcibly returned face a high risk of torture, prolonged detention and ill-treatment by the Chinese government. The 40 Uyghurs were among a group of 300 Uyghurs apprehended by Thai authorities for illegal entry in 2014, after fleeing persecution and discrimination in China’s Xinjiang region. Many of those detained in 2014 were subsequently deported in 2015. The UNHCHR stated that it had repeatedly requested access to the detainees in Thailand and had received assurances that they would not be forcibly returned. Conversely, the Thai government maintains that the deportations were carried out in accordance with international standards and that Chinese authorities had assured them individuals would be properly treated.
Former opposition members face lifetime ban from politics
In February, the National Anti-Corruption Commission announced plans to indict 44 former Member of Parliaments (MPs) from the now-dissolved Move Forward Party (MFP) for sponsoring a bill in parliament to reform Thailand’s lese majesty law. Among them, 25 are now part of MFP’s successor, the People’s Party. If found guilty, they could face a lifetime ban from politics. The indictment comes after the Constitutional Court dissolved MFP in August 2024. The accused MPs maintain that their support for amending the lese majesty was legal, emphasizing that lawmakers have the authority to propose new laws. The commission will now question the 44 MPS before referring the case to the Supreme Court or public prosecutors.
Sources: Human Rights Watch, The diplomat, Bangkok Post, Thai PBS, International IDEA
January 2025
Government invests in transgender health
In January, Thailand’s Public Health Ministry allocated approximately THB 145 million (USD 4.3 million) to the National Health Security Office to provide health services, including hormone therapy, to around 200,000 transgender individuals. Deputy Government Spokesperson Anukool Pruksanusak stated that this initiative aligns with the government’s marriage equality policy and aims to reduce health disparities by providing free services. Previously, transgender individuals were required to pay for these services themselves, which health experts warned led to people using hormones without medical supervision.
Sources: Bangkok Post, Human Rights Watch, Thaiger
November 2024
Thailand moves to end statelessness for almost 500,000 people
On 1 November, the Thai cabinet approved a resolution to accelerate pathways to permanent residency and citizenship. Out of the almost 600,000 people registered as stateless in Thailand, approximately 483,000 people are set to benefit from this regulation, including 142,000 children born in Thailand. Most of them belong to ethnic minorities or hill tribes that have been eligible for citizenship for a long time without obtaining it due to bureaucratic inefficiencies, though the new resolution applies to all that are registered as stateless. Stateless people face problems with rights protections and basic services such as healthcare, education and legal protection. With Thailand previously being one of the countries with the most stateless people in the world according to UNICEF, the new legislation marks an important step for stateless people in securing their rights.
Sources: UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), UN News, UNICEF, Bangkok Post
August 2024
Constitutional Court dissolves opposition party and ousts prime minister
On 7 August, Thailand’s Constitutional Court dissolved the 2023 election-winning opposition Move Forward Party (MFP), on the grounds that its campaign to reform the royal defamation law amounts to an attempt to “overthrow the monarchy.” The Court simultaneously banned eleven party leaders from politics for ten years. The United Nations, European Union and rights activists have widely criticized the dissolution. On 9 August, 143 remaining MFP lawmakers regrouped as the People’s Party– appointing Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut as the party’s leader. On 14 August, the same Court ordered Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin to step down in a separate ethics violation case, prompting the ruling Pheu Thai Party to nominate Paetongtarn Shinawatra as the new prime minister. Legal experts have condemned both rulings as disproportionate and politically motivated, criticizing the Court for overstepping its powers and weakening the country’s system of checks and balances.
Sources: International IDEA, Human Rights Watch, East Asia Forum, The Bangkok Post, United Nations, BBC News
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