Prosecutions continue under controversial lèse-majesté laws against those alleged to have insulted the now elderly and unwell 84-year old monarch, King Bhumibol, simply by raising the issue of the succession.
The overall level of prosecutions has risen markedly in recent years, leading some to accuse the authorities of using the laws to silence peaceful political dissent.
The EU has expressed concern about the issue, as did the US authorities after a US citizen was recently jailed. Some detect a rise in republicanism across the country.
The King’s anointed successor, his son, Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn , enjoys a much poorer public reputation than his father. Yingluck’s government has so far undertaken no new initiative to try and end the insurgency in the south. However , tension with Cambodia over Preah Vihear have largely disappeared since Yingluck took office.