Thaksin Shinawatra became the first Thai prime minister since the 1932 bloodless revolution who was elected through democratic means for a second term. The re-election of Thaksin and the TRT was also seen by intellectuals as a good indication of the ideal democratization in Thailand, since voters elected their favourite party based on its policies. However, 2005 was also the year that the Thaksin government was challenged by the street protests that led to the military coup a year later.