From coups to crises: where next for Thailand?

After a coup, a new constitution and a controversial election, Thailand’s political future remains as uncertain as ever.

Join leading Thai political scientist Professor Thitinan Pongsudhirak, The Australian National University (ANU) Thai consitutional law expert Sarah Bishop and Director of Lowy Institute’s Southeast Asia Project Ben Bland for a discussion on what happens next in one of Southeast Asia’s most volatile nations.

The general election in March, the first since the 2014 coup, was marred by allegations of irregularities and the election commission said it will not announce the final results until May. In the meantime, it has brought sedition charges against the leader of a pro-democracy party that did better than expected in the election.

Thailand is stuck in a protracted seesaw between democracy and military rule. How will the final election results affect this balance? What role, if any, will King Vajiralongkorn play in determining Thailand’s future trajectory after his coronation in May? How will the political impasse impact Thailand’s chairing of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations this year?

Thitinan’s visit to Australia is part of the ASEAN-Australia Visiting Fellows Program at the Lowy Institute, which is supported by the Australian Government through the Australia-ASEAN Council of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Enquiries: ANU College of Asia and the Pacific | [email protected]

Time & location

Auditorium, Australian Centre on China in the World |17:30 to 19:00 Wednesday, 15 May 2019

Program and tickets

Attendance is free of charge and open to the public. Seats are limited, however, so please register your attendance via Eventbrite.

Please visit the ANU event page to view and download a program.