The dilemma for the junta is that Thaksin’s supporters – who are plentiful enough to have enabled his parties to win every election since 2001 – have been marginalized as well, with little say in the face of martial law and Prayut’s absolute rule. Though they have remained quiet since the coup, they will undoubtedly maneuver to re-enter the fray as new political opportunities emerge.
令军政府进退两难的是他信的支持者——其数量之庞大足以让其所在政党在从2001年来的所有选举中获胜——也被边缘化，其在戒严法和帕拉育的集权统治面前发言权被剥夺。虽然政变后这些人一直保持沉默，但无疑将在新政治机会出现时重出江湖。无论如何，未来的泰国政治注定要有他们的参与，成为缔造新政治秩序的重要力量。