New elections in Thailand are unlikely before mid-2018

Significance

Although Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha insists the junta will meet its self-proclaimed target of 2017 for elections, officials in both the Constitutional Drafting Committee (CDC) and the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) have publicly said that legislative drafting and other steps required before elections can be held under a new constitution could require as much as 18 months from now.

Impacts

• Whatever the timing of elections, political and civil liberties are unlikely to be restored in 2017.
• The absolute powers of the National Council for Peace and Order will be retained until the new constitution is in place.
• Some military controls will then be reimposed in different forms.
• Amendments to the 2007 Cyber Crime Act, approved by parliament in December, will tighten cyber-surveillance under lese majeste laws.