Thailand’s Election Tests Reform Momentum and Old Guard Power (Full Transcript)

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: It's election time in Thailand, and the Young Progressive People's Party is leading the opinion polls, propelled by a hunger for change among younger Thais. But remember, they won the last election too, but were then blocked from forming a government. Could the same thing happen this time? Thailand hasn't enjoyed real political stability for two decades. It's had violent street clashes, two military coups, months of student-led protests. There have been three prime ministers in just the last three years. There are powerful Conservative forces here, resisting the calls for sweeping reforms. Now, the current Conservative Prime Minister, Anutin Chanwirakun, hopes to beat the People's Party with a blend of patriotism and populist giveaways. That might just work. But neither he nor most of the other 50 parties contesting this election are addressing this country's biggest challenge, a rapidly ageing and profoundly unequal society and an economy that's run out of steam.