With yesterday’s expiry of the ban on the 111 Thai Rak Thai executives (commonly known as р╕Ър╣Йр╕▓р╕Щр╣Ар╕ер╕Вр╕Чр╕╡р╣И 111: house no. 111) Thai politics enters a new phase. Some of the big Thai Rak Thai party names who may be catapulted back to public prominence include Surakiart Sathirathai, Chaturon Chaisaeng, Pongthep Thepkanjana and Varathep Rattanakorn.

Their return to formal politics may, in time, be seen as the moment when a line was finally drawn under the post-coup confrontation that has rolled now for more than half a decade. Something ended with the expiry of the ban. And something new now begins.

An earlier radio report on these issues is available here. It features former Thai Rak Thai Party executive and Deputy Prime Minister Pongthep Thepkanjana, as well as Bunaraj Smutharaks, from the Democrat Party.