Commenting on Thai student rallies protesting the dissolution of popular opposition political party Future Forward, SMU Assistant Professor of Political Science Jacob Ricks said the protests are significant in that they show a growing dissatisfaction with the Prayuth regime among younger Thais, as a fair number of them probably voted for the party. He noted that after the 2014 coup, gatherings of more than a few people were banned and the Future Forward Party did not exist, but students now have more freedom to protest and an organisation to mobilise around. Assistant Prof Ricks however believes Prime Minister Prayuth still holds the stronger hand. "He can probably afford to ignore the protests for the time being as long as they don't move off campus and cause major disruptions," he said.