If Thailand's 2014 coup was Part One of an effort by the military junta and its royal and aristocratic allies to consolidate and sustain power, then the March 24, 2019 elections represented Part Two.
The junta-appointed Election Commission, which promises to release the full election results on May 9, has been harshly criticized for overseeing perhaps Thailand's dirtiest election in decades. With anger over the election mounting ahead of King Maha Vajiralongkorn's May coronation, Thailand is facing another year of living dangerously.
