Thai protest leader Sondhi Limthongkul, whose mass demonstrations nearly 20 years ago closed the capital’s airports and helped oust governments, is back in action with a new political campaign targeting Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, according to Bloomberg News.
The Launch of the ‘Take Back Thailand’ Campaign
Sondhi, 78, is launching a campaign called “Take Back Thailand,” aiming to harness anger over living costs, corruption, alleged political interference, and foreign criminal networks, as reported by Bloomberg News. Operating from his Bangkok office, which has become the headquarters of his latest political campaign, Sondhi described the effort to international media as his “last mission” to create a permanent counterweight to whoever governs Thailand.
The campaign’s immediate goal is not to bring down Prime Minister Anutin’s government, Sondhi told Bloomberg News, but to ensure the administration “can’t live in peace” unless it responds to public demands. Sondhi stated his intention to mobilise Thais across the country, bring together people who are dissatisfied with the government and give people the tools to demonstrate and question the government.
Strategic Differences From Past Movements
Sondhi’s return to street politics marks a shift from the mass rallies that paralysed Bangkok in the 2000s and led to the downfall of then Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Yuttaporn Issarachai, lecturer at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, told Bloomberg News that the new movement’s broader focus presents distinct strategic challenges compared to the past.
“The risk of an all-issue movement is that it lacks focus,” Yuttaporn said, noting that Sondhi’s previous movement had one clear target, Thaksin, and one goal that supporters could rally around. “Many of the issues he is raising now don’t directly affect people’s livelihoods, making it harder to mobilise them. But if the economy deteriorates and people feel worse off a year from now, that could provide the catalyst for a much broader movement.”
Government Response and Current Political Landscape
Prime Minister Anutin won a sweeping election victory in February on a promise of stability after years of political discord, helping restore investor confidence and propel Thai stocks into the ranks of the world’s best performers in 2026, according to Bloomberg News.
Asked on Sept 12 about Sondhi’s movement, Anutin said it could hurt Thai people more than the government. “Does Sondhi want to make people unhappy?” Anutin said, as cited by Bloomberg News. “This administration is determined to work for the Thai people every second of every day.”
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