Why Thailand’s Thanathorn Isn’t Headed to the Streets

Picture: Shawn W. Crispin / Asia Times

In an interview by Shawn W. Crispin for Asia Times, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit explained the Move Forward Party’s political force and his vision for Thailand’s reformation.

Asia Times: MFP won 32 of 33 Bangkok seats at last year’s election. As the heart of economic and political power, what does that result say about closet conservative elite support for MFP?

Thanathorn: Well, I think not only in Bangkok. If you look at other provinces, many provinces, we won the party list vote even though we didn’t win many constituency MPs. That shows that many people demand change. This is a party accused of overthrowing the monarchy and yet people still voted for it. So people demand change.

It’s safe to say not only Bangkok, but yeah, of course, the sentiment of people in Bangkok is the sentiment of Thailand, right? That’s what they say. So I think when we won hugely in Bangkok, it terrifies them.

Asia Times: So with that election result, do you think it means elements of the royal establishment tacitly support your movement? That even in the royal establishment people believe in the change you’re calling for?

Thanathorn: People understand that we have no … that, that reforming the monarchy is the soft landing, the best way to go for Thailand. I think people understand that and that’s why they put their faith into us.

Asia Times: Do you think you have more support from elements that were more aligned with the previous monarch than perhaps the current?

Thanathorn: Difficult to say, difficult to quantify. But we see that many royalists who have common sense … they see the soft landing as the best way.