"As Thailand prepares to vote on Sunday in a nationwide election, the country's months-long border dispute with Cambodia continues to cast a shadow over election proceedings. Brief but deadly armed clashes in May last year on a disputed section of the Thai-Cambodia border escalated into the deadliest fighting in a decade between the two countries, killing dozens of people and displacing hundreds of thousands."
"Fallout from the conflict toppled the government of Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra daughter of the billionaire populist leader Thaksin Shinawatra before bringing Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to power in September. Now, while the fighting may have ceased, the conflict remains an emotive topic for Thais and a means for Anutin to rally support for his conservative Bhumjaithai Party as a no-nonsense prime minister, unafraid to flex his country's military muscle when required, analysts say."
"Anutin's party is positioning itself as the party that's really willing to take the initiative on the border conflict, said Napon Jatusripitak, an expert in Thai politics at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. It's a party that has taken the strongest stance on the issue and the most hawkish, Napon said of the recent military operations."
Thailand prepares to vote in a nationwide election while a months-long border dispute with Cambodia continues to influence politics. Brief but deadly armed clashes in May escalated into the deadliest fighting in a decade, killing dozens and displacing hundreds of thousands. Fallout toppled Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and brought Anutin Charnvirakul to power in September. The conflict remains emotive and has been used to rally support for Anutin and his conservative Bhumjaithai Party, which has taken a hawkish stance and positioned him as a no-nonsense leader. The fighting generated surges of nationalist sentiment and damaged rivals, notably the Pheu Thai Party.
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