Photo by David McKelvey on Creative Commons
Democracies are known to embrace changes for the better, whether it be governmental officials, amendments to laws, and actions to uphold rights for all citizens. Yet, in Thailand, a country that considers themselves a democracy, the only changes that occur are replacements for prime ministers-not for the better, but because they acted unethically. While presidential terms in countries like the United States and Brazil last for four years, Thailand’s government has replaced two prime ministers in just the last year.
On August 29, 2025, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was removed from office by the Constitutional Court for her controversial involvement in a phone call with Cambodian de facto leader Hun Sen. In the midst of military confrontations and tensions between the borders of the two countries, Paetongtarn was condemned for being over-deferential when referring to Hun Sen as an “uncle” and even undermining Thailand with comments directly regarding the Thai army general as an individual “on the other side” of the conflict. Even when Paetongtarn’s public apology was an attempt to reexplain her diplomatic approach to peace, BBC News reports that a Cambodian rocket barrage into Thailand on July 24th escalated tensions internally and externally.
Although democratic backsliding had become most evident in those moments, the deterioration had already started. The Council on Foreign Relations contextualizes that threats to democracy had been evident in 2024 with the dissolution of opposition parties. In fact, the Move Forward Party (MFP) and its successor, the Future Forward Party, were abolished by the Constitutional Court for directly harming monarchy through their advocacy for reforms in the lese majeste laws. Furthermore, Sage Journals explains how the party’s youth centric motives directly contrasted traditional Thai values for governmental structures and priorities for authority, representing a significant gap that has led to rising polarization in the country.
Evident in the prime ministers and leaders of Thailand themselves, ethical concerns continue to heighten political turmoil. Paetongtarn’s father, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was a target for military coups in 2006 that led to the end of his leadership with extreme dissent against monarchical policies. One theme has remained clear: all violence in Thailand leads back to political conflict. At this time, Thailand’s government is only prone to prolonged violence with the political polarization they face.
Future steps towards democracy can establish notable changes, specifically following the model of Daron Acemoglou and James A. Robinson’s book Why Nations Fail. They outline that the success of a country is highly dependent on how democratic values are incorporated into economic and political institutions. Thailand’s current government has seen internal fractures with their political institutions, contributing greatly to the loss of transparency and ethical practices.
Thailand might be seen as a “democracy” on paper, but their government instability, political polarization, and historical precedent of unethical situations have significantly showcased Thailand’s challenges with promoting true democratic practices. It is the responsibility of Thailand to restore trust in their people and work to reinforce the country and universal values that they intended to spread.
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