Thailand's Move Forward Party, a popular progressive group, faces potential dissolution following a court defeat.

The Thai pro-democracy party, Move Forward, which won the largest number of votes in last year's election, may have to disband due to a recent court ruling. The court found that the party's key policy of campaigning to change royal defamation laws was illegal according to the constitution. Activists argue that these laws have been increasingly used to suppress political criticism. As a result of this ruling, Move Forward's leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, could also be banned from politics. Limjaroenrat, a young and highly educated politician, posed a significant threat to Thailand's monarchy and military-aligned elite by promising to limit their influence. Although he had recently survived another legal case seeking to disqualify him from parliament, Limjaroenrat and his party failed to win the crucial second case regarding their policy platform. The Constitutional Court deemed Move Forward's campaign promise to amend the royal defamation law as an attempt to overthrow the entire political system in Thailand. Although no immediate penalty is associated with the verdict, it is widely expected to be used to justify dissolving Move Forward and banning its leaders from politics for several years. Essentially, the court's ruling has made the royal defamation law untouchable, even by an elected parliament. This law has faced criticism for suppressing freedom of expression in Thailand and its punitive operations. Recently, a man in Bangkok was sentenced to 50 years in jail for criticizing the Thai monarchy, while over 260 people have been charged under the law since November 2020. Furthermore, Wednesday's ruling sends a clear message that any discussion or criticism of the powerful monarchy will not be tolerated. This is not the first time Move Forward, formerly known as Future Forward, has faced dissolution. Four years ago, Future Forward was dissolved after performing unexpectedly well in an election. That action by the Constitutional Court triggered student-led protests demanding changes to the monarchy. Many of the leaders of those protests now face charges under the royal defamation law and potentially lengthy prison sentences.