Thailand Election 2026: Foreign policy in spotlight

Thailand heads into a general election today that could produce its fourth prime minister in less than three years

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Yet, amid the political churn, a notable shift is emerging:



Foreign policy is moving to the centre of the national debate.



Against a backdrop of political deadlock, a slowing economy and mounting external pressures – from border tensions with Cambodia to transnational cybercrime – the election is increasingly seen as a test not just of the country’s domestic direction, but of how it navigates a changing global landscape.



For years, critics have argued that successive governments were too inward-looking, even as global challenges intensified.



But these problems outside Thailand are now impossible to ignore, said analysts.



Issues such as cross-border scam syndicates – operating from neighbouring Myanmar and Cambodia but using Thailand as a staging ground to lure and traffic victims – have underscored the need for sustained international cooperation.



Tens of thousands of victims have already been repatriated via Thailand, mostly to China.



But experts warn that the billion-dollar industry will persist without sustained international action.