Thailand’s Feb. 8 general election: What is at stake?

Thailand’s general election and referendum on 8 February should be a defining political moment. Voters will elect all 500 members of the House of Representatives, who will then choose the next prime minister — deciding who governs and the direction the country takes in the next term.

Voters will also cast ballots in a constitutional referendum, deciding whether the next parliament should begin drafting a new charter to replace the 2017 constitution, which was written at the behest of the military after the 2024 coup.

The campaign has been heating up, shaped by last year’s border tensions with Cambodia, economic headwinds as exports and tourism struggle to recover, and growing uncertainty in an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape — raising expectations that the next government must deliver stability, security and growth, fast.

Join us to hear some leading commentators unpack what is at stake, assess the key players and possible outcomes, and explore how the results could reshape Thailand’s politics, economy and foreign policy.

Confirmed speakers:

Thitinan Pongsudhirak, professor of political science and international relations, and senior fellow at the Institute of Security and International Studies, Chulalongkorn University

Pongkwan Sawasdipakdi, lecturer in international relations at the faculty of political science, Thammasat University

Yingcheep Atchanont, executive director of legal monitoring group iLaw

Moderator: Panu Wongcha-um, FCCT president and Reuters senior correspondent

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Members who wish to book in advance should email info@fccthai.com or call the FCCT office on 02-652-0580.

Non-members can use this link.

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