Waiting in political limbo in Bangkok Lives in the meantime and modes of political action

Abstract

Since 2014, Thailand has been governed by a military regime. Although the nation has gone through cycles of democracy and authoritarian rule, this has been one of the longest periods that citizens have faced without popular elections. During this period, rampant suppression of political dissent and an indefinite phase of waiting for polls has left citizens who oppose the regime speechless and trapped. In this research, an ethnography of waiting offers a deeper look into the understanding of political stuckedness under authoritative rule as it is experienced by those living in it. In such controlled situations, accounts of urban middle class youth perceptions serve to further understanding into how citizens can enact practices of political participation and contestation while continuing to live their lives under the regime. With the announcement of elections set for early 2019, the focus shifts to a turning point, however, waiting for results and changes would take some time longer.