As expected, Thailand’s politicized Constitutional Court has dissolved the Future Forward Party and banned its executives from formal politics for 10 years.
Since the 2006 military coup, the Constitutional Court has become an appendage of rightist-royalist regimes and has dissolved major political parties in 2007, 2008, and 2019.
For a very useful background on the Future Forward case, see Andrew Marshall’s assessment.
Both Amnesty International and the European Union have issued statements.
A selection of media stories follows:
- Al Jazeera: Thai court dissolves opposition party over ‘illegal’ loan
- AP: Future Forward Dissolution May Backfire on Regime: US Scholar
- Asia Times: Thanathorn’s demise puts Thailand on the brink
- Bangkok Post: FFP dissolved, executives banned for 10 years
- BBC: Future Forward: Thai pro-democracy party dissolved over loan
- Khaosod: Future Forward Calls for Protest; Police Issue Warning
- Khaosod: Future Forward Party Found Guilty, Disbanded by Court
- New York Times: Thailand Court Disbands Popular Opposition Party
- Reuters: Thai opposition party Future Forward dissolved over loan from charismatic founder Thanathorn
- Thai Examiner: Future Forward Party dissolved – leadership banned from politics by Constitutional Court order
- The Guardian: Thai court dissolves opposition party Future Forward
- TIME: A Thai Opposition Party That Pushed for Democratic Reform Has Just Been Disbanded
Update: Some more links:
- ABC (Australia): Daughter of Thai opposition leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit writes letter to United Nations to defend ‘super awesome’ Future Forward political party
- Bangkok Post: FFP demise could swell sympathy for opposition
- Bangkok Post: Hundreds rally for justice at Thammasat
- Bangkok Post (Editorial): A dagger to democracy
- NPR (USA): Thailand’s Constitutional Court Dissolves Major Opposition Party
- Reuters: Students vow to protest after Thai court orders dissolution of popular opposition party
- Reuters: Hundreds join protest against ban of opposition party in Thailand
- Thai Examiner: Thai health boss strongly warns against public protests or political gatherings at this critical time (has he warned Thais not to shop in crowded malls, to stay inside and not to go to work? Has he warned against attending Chinese banquets or busy restaurants? Of course not)
- National News Bureau: Has not got around to reporting the Constitutional Court’s decision on its English pages. It managed one story in Thai.
- The Nation: Verdict dissolving Future Forward Party must be reversed: Amnesty
- The Nation: Economist warns of adverse impact on economy from political conflict
- The Nation (Editorial): A judicial body blow to democracy
- VOA: Thailand’s Neighbors Denounce Court’s Opposition Party Ban
Political Prisoners in Thailand 
[…] Their efforts meant that the post-junta regime could finagle a national election “victory” and make use of the junta-appointed Senate to ensure that Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha could continue as prime minister. At the same time, the regime had delayed and delayed local elections so that it could ensure that it had measures in place that prevented national election-like “surprises.” Of course, it also used the Army and ISOC to control civilian administration and arranged for the Future Forward Party to be dissolved. […]