There’s a new party in town that has got everyone excited. Launched last week, the Anakhot Thai or the Future Forward Party is the latest party to enter the Thai political arena. This new party which aims to breathe a breath of fresh air into Thai politics is led by 39-year-old business tycoon, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit.
Thanathorn is the executive vice president and director at Thai Summit Group, one of the largest auto parts manufacturers in Thailand. Thanathorn told the media at the launch that the idea of the party came about after a late-night conversation three months ago with young law professor and party co-founder, Piyabutr Saengkanokkul.
The duo launched their party in a Bangkok art space last week, promising fresh politics and an end to domination of the old guard in Thai politics. During the launch of the party, Thanathorn took the opportunity to take a swipe at the military, proclaiming, “…we don’t need governance through guns”. He also said the party would provide an alternative vision after “…a decade-long political crisis and loss of opportunities, with the illegitimate use of power and unfair laws.”
Thailand’s political landscape has been mired with instability for decades. Ever since 1932, the country has seen 12 successful military coups. Currently, Thailand is under military rule after the military junta launched a coup in 2014 that saw the removal of Yingluck Shinawatra and other ministers from government.
Soon after taking power in 2014, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha announced that the military will return power to the hands of the people, promising imminent elections in 2015. Ever since then, the military junta has delayed elections a number of times.
The Prime Minister came under fire recently after reneging on his latest election promise. In October 2017, Prayuth Chan-O-Cha promised that elections will take place in November this year. However, elections are set to be delayed to March 2019 after the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) passed a new election law in January. The elections could now be pushed even further after a junta-appointed legislature’s decision to send its senate bill for legal review.
The delaying of elections has sparked unrest in the Thai capital. Despite the military junta outlawing any political gathering of more than four people, this hasn’t stopped the people from expressing their dissatisfaction with the government. In January, over a hundred pro-democracy supporters gathered to express their anger over delayed general elections.
The emergence of Thanathorn’s Future Power Party comes at a time where there is growing unrest against the military junta. The party’s pledge for democracy will surely be welcomed by the Thai population.
"I don't want my kids and the people of the new generation to have to face a coup d'etat every decade," Thanathorn told Agence France Presse (AFP).
The Future Power Party also acts as an alternative to the main opposition party, Pheu Thai Party. As opposed to the Pheu Thai Party, the Future Power Party is new and comes without any political baggage and has no controversies surrounding it so far. Furthermore, the opposition party has long been dominated by veterans such as Thaksin Shinawatra and his cohorts. The Future Power Party consists of just 26 people from different backgrounds ranging from LGBT activists, environmentalists, scholars and more. Perhaps, what Thailand needs to reinvigorate its political landscape is a party with fresh ideas and new people.
Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen young liberal men such as Emmanuel Macron and Justin Trudeau elected to power. While it may be a longshot for Thanathorn, winning the elections is very much a possibility, especially in a country that longs for a political renaissance. Critics however are cautious of the fact that Thanathorn may become another Macron or Trudeau, who have revealed themselves to be nothing more than personifications of their predecessors – just repackaged in a younger and more attractive package.