2 days ago
Thai military regaining ground as Paetongtarn slips amid Cambodia flap
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is pictured during a news conference in Bangkok on June 10. Analysts say she has botched the handling of a diplomatic dispute with Cambodia. © Reuters
MARWAAN MACAN-MARKAR
COLOMBO -- Two years after Thailand transitioned to civilian rule, ending a decade of military-dominated rule, the political center of gravity has slipped back into the arms of the Southeast Asian country's armed forces, according to analysts.
The atmosphere favoring the generals emerged after Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra's attempt to personally solve a festering dispute along the Thai-Cambodia border backfired, with a leaked audio of a conversation between her and former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen provoking public anger last week.
