Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha last week called off the country’s emergency decree that was in place due to the months-long, student-led protests which have engulfed the country.
Prayuth said in a nationally televised address that he hoped to de-escalate the situation in the country. The Wall Street Journal reported Prayuth has also put some initiatives in motion, which are expected to be discussed next week.
Protesters want Prayuth to resign and want the country to take several steps toward becoming more democratic. These include an amendment to the constitution and reforms to the monarchy. The AP reported protesters say King Vajiralongkorn has too much power. They also resent that the monarchy controls a fortune of about $40 billion.
The Heritage Foundation said Prayut, a former army commander, became prime minister in 2014. National elections, which were held in March 2019, “solidified the power of the junta-aligned Phalang Pracharat Party.”
The AP reported days after Prayuth backed off the emergency decree, protesters were back in the street to mock a fashion show that was held by the king’s daughter.
TREND FORECAST: Nations that rely on tourism will be among the hardest hit. Indeed, 13 percent of Thailand’s GDP is from tourism. Those who work in hospitality, restaurant, and related service sectors, who are in the lower income strata, and those most needy for full time work will suffer the most economically.
Thus, as the COVID War rages and economic conditions deteriorate, protests, uprisings, and civil wars will ignite across the globe. Again, when people lose everything and have nothing left to lose, they lose it.
And, as we have forecast, for the Thailand protests to gain traction and produce desired results, while they are currently dominated by Generation Z, they must gain support from millennial and baby boomer generations.
