The Prayut Chan-ocha administration will likely last the full term despite its Covid-19 mismanagement, a senior opposition figure conceded to Thai Enquirer on Tuesday.
The current administration has been criticized from both within and without the party for its pandemic handling which has seen case numbers jump to around 20,000 cases per day and over 7,000 deaths since the third wave began in April.
The administration has also been singled out for its poor vaccination program which saw inoculation rates lag behind through incompetence and poor planning.
The criticism has mounted with street protests breaking out regularly against the government both in Bangkok and around the country.
But despite growing sentiment against the administration, the government will likely see out its full term.
“The coalition partners are funny, they criticize the government behind closed doors but then refuse to vote against the government and then pledge their allegiance,” said a senior opposition MP who asked not to be named citing party policy.
Five opposition parties submitted a letter to the house speaker on Monday asking for a no-confidence debate against the government for its poor handling of the pandemic.
But the move is “unlikely to do anything.”
“Look it is all for show, it is going to make the government look bad. But in terms of winning a censure debate or bringing down the government? No chance,” the senior MP said.
“They just have the numbers and the coalition partners are too cowardly to leave them. It is almost as if there is an outside hand forcing them to stay there.”