r/CannabisThailand Newsletter - Issue #34

The race is on

Feb 26, 2023

Sawadee Everyone,

It looks like the cannabis bill won’t make it through this session of parliament and will get taken up after the next elections, which are presumed to be in May but no date has been given yet.

That means we’re already seeing the daggers come out against cannabis.

While Minister of Public Health and Thailand’s #1 cannabis advocate Anutin has already said he’s going to re-introduce the cannabis bill after the elections, the Democrats (along with other parties) are already campaigning on stopping it.

Fortunately, at the moment, it doesn’t appear any political party will win with such a sweeping landslide victory as to be able to form their own government and Anutin’s BJT party is a likely partner for whoever tries to form a new government.

Thai politics are really very interesting because although the Pheu Thai Party (PT or PTP depending on the media outlet) is expected to easily win the most seats, unless they win by an almost unprecedented margin, the current person being proposed for the PM slot, Paethongtarn Shinawatra (aka Ung Ing), may not be able to get enough votes from Senators to get the PM job.

If that last name sound familiar, you’re probably a Thailand old-timer because, yes, she is the daughter of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra who is currently in exile and the niece of former PM Yingluck Shinawatran who, like her brother, was overthrown in a coup.

Thaksin has been making some noises to his followers that he will return to Thailand this year and even some in his own party are wishing he would keep his mouth shut on that topic since it may cost their party votes and other MPs may not vote for Ung Ing for PM if she is going to help facilitate the return of her father without him facing any justice.

That may mean that even if PTP wins the most seats in parliament, they may not be able to form a government. Nobody wants a replay of the political chaos that has gripped Thai politics for the better part of the last two decades.

Many are already saying that Anutin may be the perfect compromise PM. He has not made too many enemies in the other parties and BJT is likely to be the second largest political party in parliament after PTP. If PTP wins the most seats and is unable to get Ung Ing the PM spot, Anutin is the man many politicians and political junkies are predicting will be tapped to try to form a government.

If you thought Thai Lakorn soap operas where spicy, strap in for one heck of a show between now and May.

Cheers,

u/CannabisThailandMod