THAILAND’s famous chocolate-mint drink, a harmless treat once adored by many, suddenly left a bad taste after it got involved in the ongoing political crisis of choosing the country’s next prime minister.
“Betray-your-friend” drink. A beverage to “Kick your friend in a boat.” These are just some of the infamous nicknames associated with Thailand’s well-known chocolate mint drink.
But how did an innocent drink adored by many for years become a symbol of political betrayal overnight?
Chocolate-mint drink is known to be a favourite of Paetongtarn Shinawatra, one of Pheu Thai Party‘s strong contenders for prime minister, and is often seen being photographed in her Instagram stories.
Pheu Thai won the second largest number of seats in May’s general election and joined an eight-party coalition led by Move Forward Party (MFP), which won the most seats after promising bold reforms to remove the military from politics and amend the country’s decades-old Lese Majeste Law.
But with election winner and MFP leader Pita Limjaroenrat’s chances of becoming Thailand’s next prime minister getting blocked, supporters are getting critical of Pheu Thai’s movements, especially since the populist party is seeking alliances outside of the coalition.
Many however fear that associating the chocolate mint drink with a specific political party could lead to division and further polarization.
