Final straw? Choc

Cafes refuse to sell Pheu Thai party candidate’s favourite beverage amid fears of plot to ice-out coalition partners

For some in Thailand, the thought of a chocolate-mint ice drink suddenly leaves a bad taste.

Several cafes have suspended their sales. One shop described it as a “betray-your-friend” drink in a graphic posted on their Facebook page. Another said it was a drink to “kick your friend into the boat”, a phrase that means to push a friend away.

The beverage, once a harmless treat, has become caught in a political storm.

It is known to be a favourite of Paetongtarn Shinawatra, one of the prime ministerial candidates put forward by the opposition Pheu Thai party. In the run-up to the election, she was often photographed holding a choc-mint drink and posted pictures of it on her Instagram stories.

Pheu Thai, which is backed by Paetongtarn’s father, the former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, won the second highest number of seats in May’s general election, and, after the vote, joined a coalition led by Move Forward, a newer party that won the most seats after promising bold reforms to remove the military from politics and amend the country’s lese-majesty law.

On paper the two parties appear broadly aligned. Both said they were committed to democracy in a country that has been prone to military coups. On the campaign trail, Move Forward, and later Pheu Thai, pledged they would not join a coalition with the army generals that have clung to power since a coup in 2014 – even if it gave their parties a seat at the table.

But now, many voters fear Pheu Thai is going back on its word.

Thailand has a long history of creative forms of protests, ranging from satirical dress to coded use of emojis to mock the monarchy. On social media, many have expressed support for shops taking a stance by removing the choc-mint drink from the menu. “Please stop selling it permanently,” wrote one person, while another posted: “I applaud your bravery.”

Others have pointed to the downfalls of symbolism at times when politics is polarised. “I didn’t want the drink to become a symbol of these people,” one person wrote in a widely shared post. It should not become like the colour yellow, which was associated with the military and monarchy, they said. “Yellow, or choc-mint, are for everyone.”

Thailand is at a political standstill as the Move Forward leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, has been blocked from becoming prime minister by military-appointed senators who, since the 2014 coup, have the power to vote on future leaders. He has said he will instead support a prime ministerial candidate put forward by Pheu Thai.

Yet his political partner seems to be looking elsewhere, and on Tuesday a scheduled coalition meeting was abruptly postponed.

Pheu Thai is likely to avoid explicitly announcing that it is ditching its partners, and instead wait for an invitation from the other side, said Dr Punchada Sirivunnabood, an associate professor at Mahidol University. “Pheu Thai are really professional politicians,” she said.

Regardless, she said, it was going to leave many voters feeling betrayed: “It’s going to be really bad [electorally] if they leave the coalition. The Move Forward party will use this as a way to gain more votes in the next election.”

It had been expected that Pheu Thai would put forward a prime ministerial candidate for a vote on Thursday, but this was postponed pending a court ruling over whether Pita should be allowed a second attempt.

The delay would give Pheu Thai extra time for negotiations, said Punchada.

Pheu Thai has already met with parties associated with military-linked candidates and their allies. On Sunday, they were photographed sharing toasts with choc-mint drinks.

At its headquarters, a small group of protesters questioned whether Pheu Thai had forgotten about the military’s 2010 crackdown on its supporters, known as the Red Shirts, when more than 90 were killed.

One protester held in her hand Pheu Thai’s beloved choc-mint drink and in the other, a sign that read: “Pheu Thai, don’t betray the people.”