Three years ago, 24 year old Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul was at the forefront of a democracy movement in Thailand as thousands of young protesters clashed with police firing tear gas and rubber bullets on the streets of Bangkok. The movement shook the kingdom with its calls for reform and unprecedented demands to curb the power of King Maha Vajiralongkorn but gradually dissipated as the coronavirus spread and Panusaya and other leaders were arrested.
Many of the young democracy protesters are about to vote for the first time in Thailand’s May 14 General Election. They have not given up their calls for change, even if they know they must be patient in a kingdom where conservative elites have long obstructed reform.
Panusaya sent shockwaves across Thailand with her speech on monarchy reform in August 2020, which included a 10-point manifesto.
“This election will be very…
