Thailand 2023 election

The upcoming election, due to fall in early May, will see the Thai leader stand for election for the first time.

A new poll shows the Thai leader as the preferred candidate among respondents in the capital Bangkok.

Dissolving parliament early would have some minor benefits for Prayut Chan-o-cha's United Thai Nation party, but is unlikely to significantly improve its chances.

If elected, she would become the third Shinawatra to lead Thailand after her father and aunt – both of whom were removed by military coups.

The country's political landscape is in a state of high flux as it moves toward next year's general election.

The Pheu Thai Party is seeking to end nearly a decade of military-backed rule, but faces many challenges in a political system designed in part to exclude it from power.

Prayut Chan-o-cha is being courted by the newly formed Ruam Thai Sang Chart party, which was founded last year by one of his advisors.

New electoral rules have incentivized politicians to create a raft of new parties as a way of joining the governing coalition.

As Thailand moves toward elections due next year, the opposition Move Forward Party has unveiled a policy to enfranchise the country's Buddhist monks.

The country's southern coastal provinces, once a stronghold of the Democrat Party, are once again up for grabs.