Editing History of Thailand (section)

== Vajiralongkorn period (2016–present) ==
[[File:สมเด็จพระเจ้าอยู่หัว พระราชทานพระราชวโรกาสให้คณะบุคคลเฝ้าทูลละอองธุลีพระบาท 29-05-18 (8).jpg|thumb|270px|King [[Vajiralongkorn]], the current monarch of Thailand]]
On 13 October 2016, King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand died at the age of 89, in [[Siriraj Hospital]] in Bangkok. On the night of 1 December 2016, the fiftieth day after the death of Bhumibol, Regent [[Prem Tinsulanonda]] led the heads of the country's three branches of government to an audience with [[Vajiralongkorn]] to invite him to ascend to the throne as the tenth king of the [[Chakri dynasty]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1149219/crown-prince-becomes-king |title=Crown Prince becomes King |newspaper=[[Bangkok Post]] |date=December 2016 |access-date=1 December 2016}}</ref> In April 2017, King Vajiralongkorn signs the new constitution which will aid in the return to democracy.<ref>{{cite news |title=Thailand's constitution: New era, new uncertainties |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39499485 |publisher=BBC News |date=7 April 2017 |access-date=22 November 2022 |archive-date=22 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221122133807/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39499485 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In May 2017, Bangkok hospital was bombed, wounding 24 people on the third anniversary of the military coup of 2014.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-15641745|title=Thailand profile|date=9 January 2018|access-date=2019-01-16|archive-date=1 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200401005726/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-15641745|url-status=live}}</ref>

In June 2019, both houses of Thailand's parliament elected Prayuth Chan-ocha, retired general and former military junta leader, as the country's next prime minister. The vote officially restored civilian rule in Thailand. The opposition complained of voting irregularities in the 24 March [[2019 Thai general election|elections]].<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.dw.com/en/thai-parliament-elects-prayuth-chan-ocha-as-prime-minister/a-49071811|title = Thai parliament elects Prayuth Chan-ocha as prime minister &#124; DW &#124; 05.06.2019|website = [[Deutsche Welle]]|access-date = 27 October 2021|archive-date = 27 October 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211027094028/https://www.dw.com/en/thai-parliament-elects-prayuth-chan-ocha-as-prime-minister/a-49071811|url-status = live}}</ref>

In February 2020, pro-democracy party [[Future Forward Party|Future Forward]], the third largest party in the parliament with 80 seats, was disbanded. The ruling was made by the [[Constitutional Court of Thailand|Constitutional Cour]]t, because of a donation the party's founder, [[Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit]], made for the party.<ref>{{cite news |title=Future Forward: Thai pro-democracy party dissolved over loan |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-51585347 |publisher=BBC News |date=21 February 2020 |access-date=23 November 2022 |archive-date=23 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221123115729/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-51585347 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand|COVID-19 pandemic]] affected Thailand as the first country outside [[China]], on 13 January 2020. By 2023, the pandemic declined but caused a total of 34,715 casualties.

In September 2022, Thailand's [[Constitutional Court of Thailand|Constitutional Court]] ruled that Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha can stay in office. The opposition had challenged him, because the new constitution limits the term for prime minister as a total period of eight years in office. The Constitutional Court's ruling was that his term in office began in April 2017, simultaneously with the new constitution, although General Prayuth had ruled as the leader of the government since the 2014 military coup.<ref>{{cite news |title=Prayuth Chan-ocha: Thai court rules coup leader can remain PM |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-63082400 |publisher=BBC News |date=30 September 2022 |access-date=23 November 2022 |archive-date=7 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230707155040/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-63082400 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In May 2023, Thailand's reformist opposition, the progressive [[Move Forward Party]] (MFP) and the populist [[Pheu Thai Party]], won the [[2023 Thai general election|general election]], meaning the royalist-military parties that supported Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha lost power.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rasheed |first1=Zaheena |title='Impressive victory': Thai opposition crushes military parties |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/5/14/thailand-election-results-what-we-know-so-far |publisher=Al Jazeera}}</ref> Initially, the opposition parties attempted to form a government together with MFP's [[Pita Limjaroenrat]] as prime ministerial candidate. This failed despite a majority in the lower house, as under the 2017 constitution the junta-appointed Senate also voted for the prime minister along with the elected lower house.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Ratcliffe |first1=Rebecca |last2=Siradapuvadol |first2=Navaon |date=2023-07-13 |title=Thailand's winning candidate for PM blocked from power|work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/13/winning-thailand-candidate-for-pm-blocked-from-power-pita-limjaroenrat |access-date=2023-09-14 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Pheu Thai then dissolved its coalition with MFP and allied instead with the royalist-military parties, which allowed the new coalition to garner votes in the military-dominated Senate. On 22 August 2023, its candidate [[Srettha Thavisin]] became Thailand's new prime minister, while the Pheu Thai party's billionaire figurehead Thaksin Shinawatra returned to Thailand after years in self-imposed exile.<ref>{{cite news |title=Srettha Thavisin elected Thailand PM as Thaksin returns from exile |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/8/22/srettha-thavisin-elected-thailand-pm-as-thaksin-returns-from-exile |publisher=Al Jazeera}}</ref>