Will Thailand’s democratic development continue to weaken? For most of the past 25 years, one could argue that Thailand was the most democratic state on mainland, if not all, of Southeast Asia. Despite the challenges mentioned above, Myanmar may now be mainland Southeast Asia’s most democratic state. While the Thai military’s seizure of power in May 2014 improved political stability, and martial law has brought a sense of calm on the streets, the coup has not resolved Thailand’s deep political divisions. For longer-term stability, a key challenge will be how the military-led government addresses the rising expectations of the Thailand’s lower classes for more open, representative government, while not just ensuring the power of the nation’s traditional elite. The military is also under pressure to jump-start the economy from its paltry growth of 0.7 percent in 2014, the lowest since the outbreak of the Asian financial crisis in 1997-1998. In November, the government announced that martial law would continue indefinitely, casting doubt that elections will be held in 2015, as initially promised. In 2015, and perhaps for many years to come, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and his associates will face a difficult balancing act in healing Thailand’s political divisions.