In May, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha marked nine years in power. In Thai politics, this is a remarkably long tenure, exceeding even Prem Tinsulanonda’s eight-year rule in 1980s; not since Thanom Kittikachorn’s tenure from 1963 to 1973 has any leader been in office for over nine years. 

Given such an extended period of rule — with five years where the prime minister wielded virtually absolute power — the Prayut era should be considered one of Thailand’s best recent opportunities for long-term economic planning and achievement. Thailand is a country in search of new engines for growth, after being bedeviled for so long by the middle income trap. Recognizing this, Prayut’s government set a goal of taking Thailand to developed country status by 2037.

The Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) recently released a report evaluating the Prayut administration’s second term. Given that this is one of the few reports issued so far holistically evaluating the Prayut government’s policy record, it is worth taking a close look at its conclusions. Has the Prayut era advanced Thailand’s economic competitiveness? We’ll zoom in on three key areas highlighted by the report: industrial strategy, infrastructure, and education. 

Click here to read the full piece at Thai Enquirer.