DOI: https://doi.org/10.14710/jirud.v11i2.58220

Political Fragmentation and The Reconfiguration of Thailand’s Political Camps After The 2023 General Election

*Destia Fitra Rachmadani orcid  -  Department of International Relations, Universitas Jember, Jalan Kalimantan No. 37, Kampus Tegalboto, Sumbersari, Jember, Sumbersari, Kabupaten Jember, Jawa Timur 68121, Indonesia., Indonesia

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Abstract

A number of studies point to a shift in Thailand’s political landscape in the 2023 general election, in which relations among political factions are no longer simply divided between pro-democracy and pro-conservative camps, but have moved toward a more fragmented configuration. However, existing discussions still focus on the dynamics of compromise among political elites, without much attention to how the structure of the political arena itself is shaped. Stemming from this, this study employs Andreas Schedler’s (2002) concept of “manipulating the actor space” to analyze how post-coup institutional engineering influences changes in the relation patterns among political factions in Thailand. The analysis is conducted qualitatively by situating these changes within the context of a restructured political arena. This study contributes to the literature on hybrid politics by showing how the manipulation of actor space can reshape both the structure of competition and inter-factional relations within a fragmented political arena.

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Keywords: political fragmentation; MMA system; manipulating the actor space; Thailand

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