7. Kingdom of Thailand
Population: 67.96 million
Prayut Chan-o-cha, the incumbent Prime Minister of Thailand, that ranks 7th in our list of biggest countries ruled by dictators, secured his position via a military coup in 2014, which ousted the then elected leader Yingluck Shinawatra, who was declared unfit for office by the Constitutional Court of Thailand. Mr. Chan-o-cha, however, after seizing power, took to drafting a constitution, which gave him absolute control and immunity from prosecution for his coup. He harbors a hardline stance when it comes to press freedom, takes harsh measures against the opposition, and is known for enforcing 12 moral values in schools crafted by himself. His authoritarian government has even taken to altering history textbooks as he sees fit.
