The counting of votes for the general election in Thailand is underway. The first unofficial results are expected tonight. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha, the army general who led the last coup in 2014, is seeking another term. In Thailand’s bicameral system of the National Assembly, 52 million eligible voters are taking part in electing 500 members to the House of Representatives.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha is facing a strong challenge from anti-military parties. Leading the race is Pheu Thai, led by Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The 36-year-old is harnessing her father’s wide patronage network while sticking to the populist message for rural, low-income regions of the country.
Another party, Move Forward, led by Pita Limjaroenrat, a 42-year-old former tech executive, has also been rising fast in opinion polls. Its young, progressive, and ambitious candidates have been campaigning on a simple but powerful message: Thailand needs to change.
The election is the first since youth-led mass pro-democracy protests in 2020 and only the second since a military coup in 2014 ousted an elected government.
The Real Voice of India