Thai parliamentary opposition (right) leader, Nattapong Ruanpanyawut, believes that a general election now could stave off a military intervention. Premier Paethongtarn Shinawatra is being pressurized on multiple fronts following her leaked and disastrous phone call with Cambodian strongman and ex-prime minister Hun Sen. In Thailand’s House of Representatives, opposition leader and Peoples Party head Nattapong Ruanpanyawut urged Paethongtarn to dissolve parliament and call a general election as her credibility and political stability had vanished. But Tanit Sorat, vice-chairman of the powerful employers’ federation EconThai, said he was worried about a political vacuum lasting up to six months if there was a sudden general election at this point. He highlighted delays in approving the 2026 fiscal budget, a sluggish economy, the border dispute with Cambodia and the upcoming trade and tariff negotiations with the United States. A third option is for the current Pheu Thai-led administration to carry on even as a minority government with or without Paethongtarn as the prime minister. But many commentators see these solutions as hazardous as the government would survive on a daily basis only by one-off deals or compromises. Public trust in the government has eroded since the withdrawal of the Bhumjaithai party from the coalition government. Much will now depend on the attitude of the United Thai Nation Party, a coalition party with 36 seats. If it joined Bhumjaithai and joined the opposition, then the government would lose its majority creating a crisis to be sure. The party head and energy secretary Pirapan Salirathavibhaga has stated that he will seek discussions with the prime minister before making a recommendation to his colleagues. It is somewhat curious that the survival of the government could depend on the United Thai Nation Party which is regarded as pro-military and intensely nationalistic. It was established to participate in the 2023 general election and garnered about 12 percent of the total votes nationally. The 2014 coup leader, general Prayut Chan-o-cha, was one of its nominations for the premiership. Post election the general retired from parliamentary politics. Army coups removed two Shinawatra governments in 2006 as well as in 2014. Some commentators fear that the current crisis will see yet another putsch as has occurred, on average, every eight years over the last century. But coup historian Dennis Jenkins says that this is unlikely whilst other constitutional options remain on the table such as changes in the government or a general election. The decisions taken by general Prayut’s former party over the next day or two could be a key factor in Thailand’s immediate future.