Thanathorn: the rise and fall of a Thai political icon

Can the movement he founded thrive in his absence?

One way to understand Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, 41, founder of Thailand's Future Forward Party, is as exemplifying the hyper-leader who "floats above the party like a gas balloon and attempts to lift the party's militancy and its electorate all by himself." (Photo courtesy of Duncan McCargo)

DUNCAN McCARGO, Contributing writer

October 20, 2020 08:00 JST

Eager to see the Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit in action, I headed to Thammasat University's ThaPrachan campus on the Chao Phraya River on 17 March 2019, just a week before the general election.