00:00Thailand is heading toward an early election after a dramatic political shake-up that unfolded this
00:20week. Prime Minister Anitin Charnverical has moved to dissolve parliament, a decision he says is
00:27about returning power to the people. The announcement came after days of rising political tension and at
00:34the same time a dangerous escalation of border fighting with Cambodia. Here's what you need to
00:40know. On Thursday, Anitin submitted a formal request to dissolve parliament. By Friday,
00:47Thailand's King Mahavajir Longkorn had endorsed the decree, officially clearing the way for elections
00:54that must be held within 45 to 60 days. This is happening because Thailand's legislature has hit
01:02a total deadlock. Government spokesmen Siripong Ankasakoukyat says a dispute with the Opposition
01:09People's Party, the largest bloc in parliament, made it impossible to move forward with any agenda.
01:16He put it bluntly, we can't go forward in parliament.
01:19But this political paralysis isn't happening in isolation. Thailand is also dealing with its
01:26fourth consecutive day of armed clashes with Cambodia along their shared border. Artillery
01:33exchanges, airstrikes and more than a dozen flashpoints have erupted. The toll so far, at least 20 people
01:41killed in both countries and nearly 100 wounded, as tens of thousands flee to temporary shelters.
01:49Prime Minister Anitin insists the political turmoil will not disrupt national security operations.
01:55He says troop deployments and military coordination along the border will continue uninterrupted.
02:02He repeated his message again on social media. I am returning power to the people.
02:07But beyond the border and political crisis lies another pressure point, Thailand's struggling economy.
02:16High household debt, weak consumer spending and added pressure from recent United States tariffs
02:22have kept Southeast Asia's second largest economy under strain. Political uncertainty has only made things worse.
02:29Anitin, Thailand's third prime minister since 2023, had originally planned to dissolve parliament at the
02:37end of January with elections in March or early April. But tensions inside the governing coalition
02:44accelerated everything. His rise to power came after his Boom Jai Thai Party pulled out of the previous
02:51coalition and struck a deal with the People's Party. A deal that included major concessions, including a
02:57referendum on constitutional reform. But that agreement soon fell apart. The People's Party says Boom Jai Thai
03:05failed to honor its commitments. Party leader Nathapong Rink Panyawut says they had been trying to push
03:12forward constitutional amendments. And when their demands weren't met, they threatened a no-confidence
03:18motion. That ultimatum ultimately forced today's dissolution.
03:23So what happens now? Thailand is heading towards snap elections in a moment of political instability,
03:31border conflict and economic pressure, with the government insisting the country's security remains
03:37fully under control. The next 45 to 60 days will determine whether returning power to the people
03:44brings Thailand renewed stability or plunges it into a deeper political battle.
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