Thailand’s Upper South: The Conservative Swing State
Tita Sanglee
While the 2026 Thai elections were marked by a win by conservative elements, the situation in the Upper South was marked by the lack of a hegemon among conservative parties.

Tita Sanglee
While the 2026 Thai elections were marked by a win by conservative elements, the situation in the Upper South was marked by the lack of a hegemon among conservative parties.
Napon Jatusripitak|Duncan McCargo
Putting heavyweight technocrats in the spotlight, the Bhumjaithai Party appears to have taken a technocrat turn, away from its traditional strengths in forging political family networks in the kingdom.
Mathis Lohatepanont
The Democrat Party has made a comeback from a near-death experience. But there are still key challenges to overcome.
Napon Jatusripitak|Prajak Kongkirati
The victory of the Bhumjaithai Party in the recent Thai elections does not necessarily signal a broad-based shift towards conservative elements.
Daungyewa Utarasint|Suthikarn Meechan
Patronage politics marches under a different banner in the farther reaches of the Thai body politic. This adaptation could shift future election outcomes.
Siripan Nogsuan Sawasdee
The upcoming General Elections in Thailand have underscored the growing fragility of political parties. An irony is that growing polarisation persists despite similarities in policy inclinations.
Chanintorn Pensute
The Pheu Thai Party’s energetic campaign in Thailand’s Northern region shows the party remains a contender in February’s election.
Akanit Horatanakun
As the People’s Party moves towards elite accommodation and electoral pragmatism, it is facing a growing crisis of identity and legitimacy.
Punchada Sirivunnabood
The Bhumjaithai Party faces the February 2026 election with significant advantages.
2025 Top 10
Eugene Mark
By supporting the Bhumjaithai minority government, the People’s Party has embarked on a political gambit: working with the party’s erstwhile enemy in exchange for some degree of reform in the medium term.