Last week, the leader of Thailand’s military junta, Prayut Chan-o-cha, easily won a parliamentary vote against his pro-democracy rival Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit to secure another term as prime minister.
At first glance, it seems like a resounding victory for Prayut, a former army chief who has held the post since the 2014 military coup: Prayut won with 500 votes to Thanathorn’s 244. But it would be misleading to interpret the results as a sign of his widespread public support and a turn towards the restoration of democracy.
A quirk of Thailand’s 2017 constitution permits the senate, a body solely appointed by the ruling junta, to join with the elected lower house to choose the prime minister. The appointed senators include numerous active and retired members of the armed forces. It was unsurprising that all 250 members of this upper house voted for Prayut, despite speculation that some might choose to break ranks.
