BANGKOK -- Marching into their ninth year in power, Thailand's top trio of former army chiefs, led by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, are taking flak from their own allies, raising questions about their future and that of the country.
The focus on the three men, including Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan and Interior Minister Anupong Paochinda, has intensified since Bangkok's May 22 gubernatorial election, when the pro-military party was routed. The vote coincided with the anniversary of the Prayuth-led military coup that overthrew the elected government in 2014. His key lieutenants in that putsch, Prawit and Anupong, were a formidable alliance, earning the moniker saam paw (the "three Ps," based on their names).
