NationThailand-May 13
As red and blue power blocs clash, PM Paetongtarn finds herself in the political crosshairs—caught between legacy, loyalty, and looming collapse. The honeymoon period in Thai politics ended long ago. The country has now entered a phase of real damage—real consequences—as tensions between coalition parties spiral into a full-blown clash between two dominant camps: the red and the blue. The Election Commission (EC) and the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) have struck early and decisively, launching their opening salvo by issuing summonses to 55 key senators in the Senate vote-rigging scandal. This special case has sent tremors throughout the blue camp’s network, hitting hardest within the Ministry of Interior and certain affiliated political parties. Meanwhile, Thaksin Shinawatra finds himself increasingly constrained. Thaksin’s court appearances are now becoming more frequent. On May 8—the same day the Medical Council ruled against the doctors—he filed a petition to leave the country in relation to his Article 112 case. The court rejected it. On June 13, the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions is scheduled to convene to review whether Thaksin’s one-year sentence has been properly enforced. Caught in the middle of this red-blue war is Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who now finds herself navigating a brutal political landscape. On one side stands her father. On the other hand, a powerful coalition partner with vast influence over government machinery—one that has increasingly obstructed Pheu Thai’s initiatives at every turn and reportedly holds mechanisms to unseat her in its hands. The pressure surrounding Paetongtarn is immense. Beyond the political minefield, she must still manage a country plagued by crisis after crisis: distrust among coalition partners, sluggish economic growth, renewed violence in the deep south, and a raft of flagship policies that remain stalled or adrift. Read more at:
