The general election is just 311 days away -- as long as the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) keeps to its promise and sticks to the timetable for the political roadmap to democracy so the poll can proceed in November.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha told the media late last year that there would be no more delays and the election would take place that month.
Many of us plan to vote despite the problematic nature of the upcoming poll in light of the military-drafted set of organic laws and other issues.
Anchalee Kongrut writes about the environment in the Life section, Bangkok Post.
There are a number of lingering questions and pressing concerns.
Who will be our next prime minister?
Will it be incumbent Prayut Chan-o-cha (affectionately dubbed "Uncle Tu")?
Will Gen Prawit Wongsuwon, the deputy prime minister and defence minister now embroiled in a scandal involving luxury watches, feature in the next cabinet?
Or will he broker power from behind the scenes, possibly pulling the strings with a flashy Richard Mille or Audemars Piguet timepiece on his wrist?
Will some political parties end up forming a coalition government?
Can the Democrat and Pheu Thai parties kiss and make up in a show of unity against the military?
And, crucially, as we count down to the highly anticipated political reset, what kind of democracy can we expect?
I fear it will be far from perfect, with a slew of Section 44 orders set to stay in place, ensuring the influence of the regime is still felt.
On Jan 10, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam told the media that government agencies had been asked to scrutinise dozens of National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) commands, including those issued through the use of Section 44 from the interim charter.
Even though the NCPO will be dissolved, at least some of its orders are set to be enshrined as permanent laws given the approval of the military-appointed National Legislative Assembly (NLA).
Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu said that of the 50 or so orders issued under Section 44, those concerning land reform for farming programmes are likely to remain in effect after the poll.
But this assertion has drawn criticism. A civic network recently gathered at Thammasat University's Tha Pra Chan campus to pressure the government to axe 35 orders and announcements it issued using Section 44.
The group claimed they curb freedom of expression and infringe on human rights.
The activists also launched a campaign to collect 10,000 signatures to back its demand for the annulment of the aforementioned orders.
Former senator Jon Ungphakorn, who spearheaded the petition campaign, said that the signatures will be sent to the House of Representatives after the general election in the hope of having the orders revised.
But I suspect even that many signatures will make little difference if parties or politicians backed by the NCPO come to dominate the next government.
What will happen to our rights if the NCPO's special order that allows developers to bypass environmental impact assessment (EIA) processes in order to fast-track certain projects is made into law?
What will happen if the special order that allows officials to prosecute forest encroachers without using the proper judicial process becomes law?
Ultimately, what is the point of voting or having elected legislators when so many of the orders issued by the coup makers can easily be woven into the fabric of the legal code, meaning that future governments will be beholden to them?
I still can't figure out why the NCPO has done this. If it wants these special orders to become law, the council could have done so using the normal legislative process.
Ministries and authorities can propose any NCPO order to the democratically elected House of Representatives or parliament after the next election.
Section 77 of the charter requires a public hearing for (drafts of) legislation that may affect people's livelihoods or violate their rights.
In my opinion, this is the main reason why we vote, and why we elect our representatives to pass laws that both represent and serve us.
So as the clock ticks, we cannot ignore the reality staring us in the face.
For those dreaming of regaining lost freedoms, dream of November.
Just bear in mind we live in the land of "Thai-style democracy", a land where dreams can easily turn into dust.
