COVID-19 is spreading like wildfire in Thailand, and the political and economic consequences are beginning to mount.

Opponents of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party are pushing to amend Thailand’s 2017 constitution, which kept Junta chief Prayuth Chan-ocha in power. A military-appointed Senate stands in their way.

To understand the demands of student protesters in Thailand, one must first understand the royalist-military compact that has dominated the country’s politics for decades.

Thanks to a broad anti-government pro-democracy youth movement, risky calls to reform the Thai monarchy are breaking new ground.