Thailand’s pro-democracy parties trounce the military establishment

For decades, politics in Thailand has been defined by a battle between ardent royalists (known as “yellow shirts”) and redshirted supporters of Thaksin Shinawatra, a populist tycoon-turned-political-leader. The parliamentary elections held on May 14th appear to have dramatically reshaped that struggle. The big winner was a third force, Move Forward, a party of young liberal activists that campaigned on a promise to reform the monarchy and armed forces, two institutions that have long dominated Thailand. Together with Mr Thaksin’s Pheu Thai party, the other main pro-democracy outfit, Move Forward won...