2005–2006 Thai political crisis

A period of political turmoil in Thailand marked by mass protests against Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a disputed 2006 election, and a military coup that removed him from power.

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People's Alliance for Democracy: A Thai protest movement formed in 2006 to oppose Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Its demonstrations made opposition to Thaksin the crisis's most visible force.
Thai Rak Thai Party: A Thai political party founded by Thaksin Shinawatra that won national elections in 2001 and 2005. Its electoral dominance fueled both Thaksin's mandate and opponents' fears of concentrated power.
Sondhi Limthongkul: A Thai media entrepreneur who became a leading organizer of protests against Thaksin Shinawatra. His speeches and media platform helped mobilize the People's Alliance for Democracy.
2007 Constitution of Thailand: Thailand's constitution promulgated in 2007 under the post-coup military government. It institutionalized a new political framework after the junta dissolved the previous order.
Democracy in Thailand: Thailand's changing system of representative government, constitutional rule, and military intervention. The crisis exposed the conflict between electoral legitimacy and unelected power.
2006 Thai general election: A Thai election held in April 2006 that was boycotted by major opposition parties and later annulled. The election failed to resolve the confrontation and became a central dispute.
2005 Thai general election: A Thai election in February 2005 in which Thai Rak Thai won a large parliamentary majority. The victory strengthened Thaksin's government shortly before protests intensified.
Prem Tinsulanonda: A Thai statesman and former prime minister who served as president of the Privy Council during the crisis. His public comments on the military's relationship to the monarchy shaped debate before the coup.
2007 Thai general election: Thailand's first general election after the 2006 coup, held in December 2007. The result showed that parties aligned with Thaksin retained substantial electoral support.
2006 Thai coup d'état justification: The military's stated rationale for its 2006 takeover, including claims of political division and corruption. Its claims contrast with arguments that the coup violated democratic norms.