With the election now over, a new government can be expected to emerge fairly soon. The time is, therefore, right to discuss the trajectory of Thai foreign policy in the coming months, always assuming that there is a need to do so to keep up with the rapidly changing international landscape.
One caveat is in order here: we should not expect a Midas touch for the country's external relations despite the hyperbole and wishful thinking trotted out by many political party leaders, as well as pundits and academics ahead of the poll. We suddenly saw quite a few parties conjure up new foreign policies out of the popular global imagination. Sad but true, these are easier said than done when it comes to the art of diplomacy, which is a complicated and unpredictable affair.
