Organizer: ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute

Type/Location: Hybrid / Singapore

Description:

A new Thai Senate was selected in June 2024, through a somewhat arcane process, based on a combination of local representation and the representation of professional groups. Those nominated for the Senate effectively became voters, who were eligible to choose future senators from among themselves. Whilst in theory this was a non-political process designed to select the best-qualified candidates, in practice it was overshadowed by actors that included the Progressive Movement (linked to the Move Forward Party), the Pheu Thai Party, and especially the Bhumjaithai Party.

The resulting Senate comprises 200 members, around three-quarters of whom are now closely linked to the influential Bhumjai Thai Party – the so-called blue faction, who were initially known for wearing blue clothing during parliamentary sessions to signal their loyalties and solidarity. Around 10-15 senators make up the independent or progressive group, who have been pressing for greater democracy and transparency. But given the blue faction’s powers to appoint key officials such as Constitutional Court judges, coupled with the group’s de facto veto power over constitutional reform, the new Senate may once again prove the graveyard of progressive politics in Thailand.

Drawing primarily on elite interviews, this presentation analyses the selection, performance and dynamics of the post-2024 Senate, and asks what lasting significance the new chamber may have for the future of Thai politics.

About the Speaker:

Dr. Duncan McCargo is President’s Chair in Global Affairs at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore and an Associate Senior Fellow at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. He is best known for his writings on the politics of Thailand, latterly including books on the judiciary and the Future Forward Party.

Registration:

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