Why Struggling Thailand Keeps Voting for Change That Never Comes
This weekend’s election pits a party campaigning on sweeping reform against two blocs pledging more populist policies
People line up at an early voting station in Bangkok, Thailand, on Feb. 1.
Photographer: Teera Noisakran/Sipa/AP Photo
Two decades of chronic political instability have seen Thailand go from an aspiring economy on track to follow South Korea and Singapore into the ranks of rich nations, to a regional laggard beset by stagnant growth, soaring debt, widening inequality and a shrinking workforce.
That’s the backdrop for this weekend’s election that pits a party campaigning on sweeping reform against two blocs pledging more populist policies.