Thailand politics

Srettha Thavisin's confirmation as the country's PM was not a surprise, but the August 22 vote in Parliament offered some signs of where Thai politics might be heading.

The vote came shortly after former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, the spiritual leader of Srettha's Pheu Thai Party, returned to Thailand after 15 years in self-exile.

The fugitive leader's return reflects the dramatic realignment that has taken place in Thai politics since the general election in May.

The marriage of convenience between Pheu Thai and the United Thai Nation Party reflects the stunning political realignment that has occurred since May's general election.

Despite the PM vote setback, the success of the Move Forward Party during the election has created a new dynamic in Thai politics – one that is likely to persist.

The court's decision has paved the way for Parliament to convene on August 22 to select a prime minister.

The decision will make the party more reliant on the support of the military-backed parties whose dominance it has long opposed.

Despite the new recruits, the party faces some difficult choices in reaching the majority that it needs in the House of Representatives.

The pact between the two parties, which came in second and third in May's general election, could spell an end to Thailand's protracted post-election deadlock.

The vote has been postponed until after the Constitutional Court rules on an appeal by the Move Forward Party against lawmakers’ decision to block its leader from being renominated as prime minister.

The split has had an air of inevitability, given the conservative opposition to the MFP's progressive policy agenda.

There are several reasons to think that the fugitive former PM might actually be becoming home.