The Latest on Southeast Asia: Thai Senate Elections

Photo: MOHD RASFAN/AFP/Getty Images
After three rounds of elections at the district, provincial, and national levels in June, Thailand’s Election Commission on July 10 certified 200 new senators to replace the 250 military-appointed senators who have served since 2019. The Senate elections, the first held since the 2014 military coup, were criticized for being undemocratic with arcane regulations and procedural roadblocks. The candidates, who could only be voted upon by their fellow candidates, were allowed to run after submitting a 2,500 baht application fee to compete against a pool of peers from 20 different social and professional groups. The peers ran against each other for three rounds until ten candidates per group were selected. Candidates could not discuss their policies or plans and were only permitted by the Election Commission to submit a two-page resume on their background.
Though the Senate will no longer participate in selecting the prime minister, it still plays a crucial role in approving bills from the lower house. It also has the authority to appoint independent heads of government commissions, such as the Election Commission and Anti-Corruption Commission, and appoint judges to the Constitutional and Administrative courts.
The Bhumjaithai Party, a conservative party seen as a bridge between the monarchy and the military, captured over 60 percent of the total upper house seats. Critics expressed concerns that the election process allowed groups to form alliances, which benefitted the Bhumjaithai Party. While current lawmakers and party members were prohibited from running, the elections resulted in a wide array of Bhumjaithai-affiliated candidates, ranging from the chauffeur of a prominent party member to public health volunteers who worked with the party, winning seats.
Bhumjaithai’s sweep of the Senate will make it very difficult for prime minister Srettha Thavisin and his Pheu Thai-led coalition in the lower house to continue implementing their desired changes. Pheu Thai was unable to generate significant Senate traction and was only able to capture 12 of the 200 seats, outnumbered even by the Move Forward Party’s 18 members. Senate control by Bhumjaithai will strengthen its position in the lower house, which will force Pheu Thai to make more compromises to advance its agenda.
Pheu Thai, which came in second in the May 2023 lower house elections, continues to lead an increasingly fractious coalition. The party’s fortunes continue to sour as Srettha’s popularity tanks and longtime party figure Thaksin Shinawatra becomes increasingly embroiled in legal proceedings stemming from a lèse majesté indictment last month. Srettha’s position as prime minister is also in jeopardy due to his appointment of a previously jailed lawyer, Pichit Chuenban, to his cabinet. Following a complaint by 40 senators, his case was accepted by the Thai Constitutional Court. In May, Srettha was allowed to continue as prime minister while the case develops. The court will hold another hearing on the case on July 24, with a verdict expected in September.
Japhet Quitzon is a Research Associate for the Southeast Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C.
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