Socialist Front (Thailand)

The Socialist Front was a political coalition in Thailand, formed by leftwing parties in late 1956.[1] The main group in the coalition was the Economist Party, led by Thep Chotinuchit.[2] The other two constituents of the Socialist Front were the Free Democratic Party and the Hyde Park Movement Party.[3] Thep Chotinuch was the chairman of the Socialist Front.[4] The parliamentarians who founded the Socialist Front came from north-eastern Thailand.[5] The Socialist Front favoured a neutralist foreign policy, and called for Thai withdrawal from SEATO.[6]

In the 1975 general election the Socialist Front won ten seats, all of them from the north-east. In total the Socialist Front got 3.8% of the nationwide vote.[3]

References

  1. ^ Wilson, David A.. China, Thailand and the Spirit of Bandung (Part II), in The China Quarterly, No. 31 (Jul. - Sep., 1967), pp. 96-127
  2. ^ http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/view/B31950206/ft.pdf
  3. ^ a b Ockey, James. Through Multiple Transitions in Thailand. Variations on a Theme: Societal Cleavages and Party Orientations, in Party Politics 2005; 11; 728
  4. ^ http://www.rmaf.org.ph/Awardees/Biography/BiographyThongpaoTho.htm
  5. ^ Nguyen, Thi Dieu. The Mekong River and the Struggle for Indochina: Water, War, and Peace. Westport, Conn: Praeger, 1999. p. 81
  6. ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19580405&id=YiUQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JJUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1817,584059