In 2014, the Thai military launched a coup and democracy was suspended. In 2015, Myanmar held an election that was convincingly won by Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy.
It seemed like a stunning role reversal. Thailand’s democracy had always been unstable, but the country had always seemed more free and further in its democratic progression than its western neighbor. But after 2015, for a while, political scientists could plausibly claim that Myanmar now had a more democratic government than Thailand’s.
Fast forward to 2021, and the roles have now been reversed once again. Thailand, while not exactly a democracy, now has a semblance of a parliamentary system. Myanmar, on the other hand, has now reverted back to rule by a military junta.
But do not be fooled. The two countries haven’t taken divergent paths.
Click here for the full piece at Thai Enquirer.
Ken Mathis Lohatepanont 
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