This year has seen its fair share of political developments and events which have affected, for better or worse, the government and the National Council for Peace and Order.
This is illustrated in this newspaper's choice of the top five political stories of the year.
They comprise the conviction in absentia of former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra in the much-anticipated rice-pledging trial at the Supreme Court.
A worse fate befell Boonsong Teriyapirom, the former commerce minister in the Yingluck administration, who faces a long prison term for fraud in connection with the rice-pledging scheme.
Others include controversial questions posed by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on politicians and elections; the general election timeline being pushed back; and the top brass's strong presence in the latest cabinet reshuffle.
As 2018 may well mark a period of substantive transition dictated by the roadmap to a general election tentatively set for the end of next year, more robust political activities can be expected in the months ahead.
