Four years ago today, General Prayut Chan-o-cha staged a military coup d’etat to topple the elected government of Yingluck Shinawatra, Thailand’s first woman prime minister. So it was odd to hear their calls for another election once they understood the coup had left them in the wilderness and that the military junta was intent on holding onto the reins almost entirely alone. There has in fact never in Thai history been a “good coup”, and the 2014 coup was worse in some ways. This junta never intended to introduce deep and necessary reforms, nor steer Thailand quickly back to democracy. Observers inside and outside the country appear agreed that this junta launched reforms not for the people’s benefit but to consolidate its hold on power.

Source: The Nation Bangkok May 21, 2018 18:00 UTC