Thailand’s political crisis has been dragging the country down for nearly a decade now but things went from bad to worse in 2015. The military junta, which grabbed power in May of the previous year, shows no signs of loosening its grip and will likely remain in direct control for the foreseeable future. Even a draft constitution written by conservative royalists who were handpicked by the junta was rejected in September. The draft, specifically designed to maintain military dominance and hobble elected politicians, could have allowed the return of a weak, illiberal democracy in late 2016. This is now impossible, leaving Thailand with the unwelcome distinction of being the only country in the world currently ruled so openly by its military.