Several have commented on our post about the Thailand coup saying that things were corrupt there, the people do not appear to be opposing the coup, and this is an internal matter and no business of the US government or anyone else.
The comments were thoughtful and hopeful. Sadly though, they neglect the obvious. The primary issue is, when will the military release its increasing grip on power? Sure, the military will appoint a puppet to be PM, but that person obviously serves at their pleasure and is beholden to them. They appointed him, they can replace him. And here’s a surprise, the frontrunner for the post is ex-military.
The new draft constitution gives the military the power to fire the PM and Cabinet, plus they will “advise” on security matters. Uh huh. Look, militaries who take power in a coup do not generally relinquish power gracefully, and there’s no reason to believe it will be any different in Thailand. Nor is there much reason to believe a military dictatorship will end corruption rather than line their own pockets instead.