Juntanomics in Southeast Asia
Thailand needs lots more LNG and much more investment. The military dictatorship probably won’t help it get either
Thailand has approved a new constitution drafted by the government that was installed by a military coup in 2014-and it probably won't be good news for the country's energy sector. A referendum, held on 7 August, was a clear victory for the military-led government, endorsed by around 60% of voters. Prayuth Chan-ocha, a former army general who serves as Thailand's prime minister, has said that general elections will be held in late 2017. But for now, the referendum consolidates military control. It means the transition back to civilian rule will take as long as five years, and it makes members of the upper house of parliament fully appointed-a process the men in uniforms control. It's all mak
Also in this section
13 April 2026
Petroleum Economist analysis highlights sharp shift from crude oversupply to market deficit, with Iraq and Kuwait badly affected and key producers Saudi Arabia and the UAE also seeing output sharply lower
13 April 2026
Turkmenistan is moving ahead with a modest expansion of the giant Galkynysh field to sustain gas deliveries abroad, but persistent delays to other key pipeline projects and geopolitical risks continue to constrain its export ambitions
13 April 2026
Expensive electricity has forced out swathes of energy-intensive industry and now threatens the country’s ability to attract future investment in datacentres and the digital economy
13 April 2026
For GCC producers, the ceasefire may prove more destabilising than the war itself: exports remain constrained, and control over Hormuz has shifted in ways that could endure






