The 4 Key Players Trying to Smuggle Communism into Thailand

Editor’s note: This piece was submitted by an SFL Local Coordinator and independent writer from Thailand who, for safety, goes by the pseudonym Taya Kritta.

Thailand is often recognized for its tourism and cuisine, attracting millions of visitors each year. However, when it comes to politics, Thailand tends to remain outside the global spotlight, with few outsiders aware of its deep-rooted issues.

Thailand has undergone 13 military coups, with the most recent occurring in 2014, led by General Prayut Chan-o-cha. As a result, the country has remained under authoritarian rule, despite a general election in 2019 — an election widely criticized for its lack of transparency, and its securing Prayut’s continuation in power.

Also in 2019, a political party called Future Forward emerged, composed of pro-democracy activists opposing authoritarianism. However, Thailand’s Constitutional Court later ruled to dissolve the party, forcing its members to rebrand as the Move Forward Party, which was later dissolved again in 2024. (Former Sen. Ben Cardin from Maryland condemned the dissolution of this party.) 

Learn more about another Asian country where the government has way too much power:

Later, Move Forward emerged as the People’s Party. Many believed this party stood for democracy and American-style liberalism. However, a paradigm shift by the media led to a misunderstanding of political ideology and created a new stereotype of democracy. Therefore, few people recognized that some of the party’s key figures were, in fact, only pretending to display a stance of liberalism, when they truly, ideologically aligned with communism.

A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing?

The first figure to analyze is Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, former secretary-general of Future Forward and now chief strategist of the Progressive Movement, a “pro-democracy” organization.

While widely regarded as a champion of democracy, Piyabutr has openly admitted in interviews to being influenced by the Italian Marxist theorist Antonio Gramsci. Additionally, he frequently shares Gramscian ideas on his social media accounts and the Progressive Movement’s YouTube official channel — especially Gramsci’s Cultural Hegemony, which devalues family traditions and institutes.

And yet, his supporters dismiss these facts and create an illusion of choice between supporting their platform (indoctrination of communism) or becoming right-wing ignoramuses. His advocacy for Lenin-Gramsci’s theory of revolution calls for sustainable revolution to establish the dictatorship of the proletariat, both in parliament and outside of it.

Second in Command

The second important figure to know is Amarat Chokepamitkul, a former Member of Parliament. Amarat was actively involved in political protests between 2008 and 2009 and had close ties with Surachai Danwattananusorn, a former Communist Party member implicated in the murder of Police Lieutenant Sawai Polchana and the 1978 train robbery in Surat Thani. 

Surachai mysteriously disappeared on December 12, 2018, along with two of his comrades, Phuchana and Kasalong, after entering Laos. His fate remains unknown. Since then, Amarat has been a vocal advocate demanding justice for Surachai, completely overlooking his past crimes. Furthermore, she has been associated with anarchist movements, once seen wearing a white t-shirt with an anarchy symbol.

Third Time’s Not a Charm

The third figure is Kaewta Thisana, a sitting Member of Parliament. She openly declared her support for Marxist-Leninist ideology, admiration for the Russian Revolution, and opposition to capitalism. 

Take a deep dive into Marxist ideology and its disastrous effects:

Additionally, she has been a strong supporter of the Free Palestine movement, consistently advocating for Palestinian rights. However, her stance has faced backlash, especially after Thai workers were among the victims and hostages taken by Hamas during the recent conflict. 

And batting cleanup …

The fourth figure, a founding member of the dissolved Future Forward Party, is Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit. He’s from the business family named Thai Summit Group, although in 2007, an interview he gave to Sarakadee Magazine ran with the headline: ‘I was forced to be an entrepreneur’.

Although Thanathorn had a background in Marxist thought from his early activism, he later found himself navigating the contradictions of running a capitalist enterprise. He acknowledged that certain Marxist methods were no longer applicable in a rapidly evolving society. While he continued to believe in socialism, he recognized that the dynamics of global capitalism required businesses to adapt, expand internationally, and compete against multinational corporations. 

Ultimately, he argued that capitalism would not collapse on its own but would require active revolution and organized movements to overthrow it. In 2020, he was banned from the political stage, though he later regrouped with the Progressive Movement to push their agenda on social media.

Be Careful Whom You Let in the Door

Its ability to manipulate societal beliefs demonstrates the hidden dangers of a dissolved Move Forward Party. Recently, the party published an illustrated poster featuring its party-list MPs. One subtle yet striking detail was the presence of the hammer and sickle symbol — an unmistakable emblem of communism. 

The public largely ignored it, with some defending the design by comparing it to Austria’s national emblem and labeling anyone who saw a communist symbol as a remnant of the Cold War’s right-wing narrative.

Furthermore, the dissolved Move Forward Party proposed a land expropriation law, arguing that unused land should be redistributed to reduce inequality. Fortunately, the bill did not pass. This bill hailed the turning of private land into state-owned property as part of Stalin’s policy ‘Dekulakization’. 

Democracy and liberalism in Thailand will remain far from reality as long as people continue to be deceived by political parties that exploit the identity of liberal democracy, like Bernie Sanders does in the U.S. with the term “Democratic Socialism,” to create justification for their bad, immoral ideas. 

While current People’s Party members might not be entirely communist, its key figures have shown their ideological leanings from the start. We must not turn a blind eye to such mutant ideologies that aim to strip away individual property rights under the guise of equality.

Are you a student interested in getting involved in pro-liberty activism? By applying to join Students For Liberty’s Local Coordinator Program, you can be supported in promoting the ideas of liberty while also developing your skills and meeting many like-minded students from across the world. Click on the button below to find out more and get involved!

This piece solely expresses the opinion of the author and not necessarily the organization as a whole. Students For Liberty is committed to facilitating a broad dialogue for liberty, representing a variety of opinions.