Thailand made more progress on improving its democracy than any other nation in the world last year, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s annual rankings released last week.
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) raised Thailand’s score in 2022 to 6.67 from 6.04 in 2021. The increase of 0.62 points from 2021 was larger than that of any other nation during the same period. The score propelled the Kingdom from 72nd to 55th in the global ranking of 167 countries.
Thailand’s current government came to power in 2019 through a nationwide general election. Another election to choose a new government is widely expected to take place later this year. Some parties have already begun campaigning on an unofficial basis.
Thai residents are also becoming more politically active, as evidenced by several protests seen in the country.
The EIU concludes that the upcoming election in May this year will lead to a reduction in the power of the present government and an increase in the strength of opposition parties.
However, the next prime minister must be accepted by the military, which still holds power in Thailand’s present democratic system.
In conclusion, the EIU report stated…
“The improvement in Thailand’s Democracy Index is a positive sign for the country’s political future. It highlights the increasing political participation of Thai residents and the potential for a more democratic future. However, the new prime minister might have to be accepted by the Thai military because they still play a role in the present democratic system.”
Norway won the highest democracy index with a score of 9.81, followed by New Zealand, Iceland, Sweden, and Finland.
As stated in the report, 28 countries in Asia are included in the ranking. The democracy index of nine countries improved, seven countries remained in the same places as last year, and 12 countries fell from last year’s report.
The EIU added in the report that Russia has the worst democratic development in the world, with its rank falling from 124 last year to 146 this year.
Thailand has had a long and complex history with democracy, marked by periods of democratic rule and military coups. Thailand’s first constitution was established in 1932 as a constitutional monarchy, following a successful revolution that ended absolute monarchy in the country.
