Event details

As conversations around global democratic backsliding gain momentum, Thailand offers a striking case study of a democracy caught in a recurring cycle of struggle and hope. Unlike many countries where democratic erosion follows a linear trajectory, Thailand’s experience is cyclical. The blossoming of democratic aspirations, driven by mass mobilization and youthful optimism, are repeatedly stifled by military coups, judicial repression, party dissolutions, and the systematic curtailing of civil liberties. With 13 successful coups—averaging nearly one every five years—and 20 constitutions in under a century, Thailand ranks among the world’s most politically volatile democracies.
Yet despite its salience, Thailand remains strikingly absent from mainstream global discourse on democratic backsliding, particularly compared to regions like Latin America or Eastern Europe. It is time to change that.
Breaking the Cycle, directed by Aekaphong Saransate and Thankrit Duangmaneeporn, tells the sweeping and emotional story of Thailand’s modern democratic struggle through the eyes of its rising generation of political leaders. At its core is the rise and fall of the Future Forward Party (FFP), founded by Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, which galvanized millions with its bold vision for reform, braved the resistance from entrenched powers, and ultimately dissolved by lawfare, not once but twice. The film traces the resilience of those who refused to give up, chronicling the birth of a new political movement in the face of deep structural challenges. It is a story not only of Thai politics, but of what it means to fight for democracy in the 21st century.
This event marks the film’s U.S. premiere and will be followed by a panel discussion with those who lived this struggle firsthand: Ms. Kunthida Rungruengkiat (MPP*26), activist and former deputy leader of FFP; Mr. Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, Leader of Opposition and the People’s Party (named one of Time’s 100 Next Most Influential Leaders); and Professor Eduardo Bhatia, former President of the Senate of Puerto Rico (2013-2017) and expert on democratic backsliding. The conversation will be moderated by Joshua Lederman, (MPP’26), White House correspondent. Together, they will explore how Thailand’s democratic journey speaks to global trends and how its lessons can shape a more resilient democratic future for us all.