The self-imposed exile of another popular Thai leader means the junta won't need to deal with a high-profile prisoner. Yet another question remains: Can Thaksin Shinawatra's family finally be beaten at the polls?
Thaksin and his allies have won every election dating back to 2001, only to have the military or courts help remove them from power. His sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, fled the country last week rather than face prison for a costly rice policy during her time as prime minister, which ended in 2014 weeks before a coup. One of her Cabinet ministers received a 42-year prison sentence.
"End of Shinawatra Era," declared a headline in the Bangkok Post after Yingluck reportedly fled to Dubai, with the story saying "the curtain has closed on the Shinawatra clan's grip on Thai politics." Other analysts aren't so sure.