They were skating on thin ice together like a pair, but, currently, the prime minister and arguably the most controversial man in his government coalition are drifting in opposite directions….
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They were skating on thin ice together like a pair, but, currently, the prime minister and arguably the most controversial man in his government coalition are drifting in opposite directions….
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The question regarding Prayut Chan-o-cha and Thammanat Prompao is whether it’s a “mountain out of a molehill” situation or a “no smoke without fire” development. In a world where Prayut…
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Rival Thai politicians and their supporters are gambling on how the country’s COVID-19 situation will pan out in the immediate future. If it gets worse significantly or improves remarkably, nothing…
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Most armed conflicts in the world have “proxy” written all over them, so one of the most-ridiculed Joe Biden statements regarding America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan is actually spot-on. “They have…
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Politics, whether it’s an extreme dictatorship, mild fascism, or full-blown democracy, is all about magnifying opponents’ faults and belittling your own in the full glare of the public. Motives are to…
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The brightest minds in the United States and England are fearing that the world is facing a really and progressively gloomy future, but they think slightly differently, though. The US…
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The answer will depend primarily on the COVID-19 numbers at Thailand’s popular island resort. But how the Prayut administration will look coming out of a potential Phuket nightmare will also…
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Simple math and the almost-worldwide belief that good coronavirus vaccines are in the United States make its current situation mind-boggling. Its population is roughly 4.7 times that of Thailand, but…
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Human beings having several, competing vaccines may be the last thing they need and the first thing the coronavirus wants. Instead of pooling expertise, manpower and financial resources to create…
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One possible explanation for the continued, terrifying increase in COVID-19 cases in Thailand is that the country may be arriving at the most unwanted juncture. As news reports focus on “clusters”…
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Many military strategists may quietly admire the coronavirus. In the first wave, it took advantage of human beings’ unpreparedness, striking rich countries with brute force and sparing much of the…
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Pheu Thai and Move Forward are reportedly not seeing eye to eye. But neither are Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Palang Pracharath, and the latter pair’s conflict can be more…
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Humans make rules, dissolve parliaments, woo voters, mark ballots, and set up administrations, but the new normal of politics stipulates that they aren’t the ones actually in control. Those activities…
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The Japanese say everyone has three faces. The first is put on for the world, the one you wear while in office, at party, on public transport, at lunch with…
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The answer is “Yes” and “No”. “Yes” because a non-politicised knowledge can help prevent or soften a future pandemic a great deal, if the world manages to get out of…
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First, it was China’s “comfortable survival”. Then, it was the intriguing question of whether or how much states should “provide” or “facilitate” vaccination. Now, it’s the anger and disbelief following…
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A lot can go wrong if or when “Walk-in” (or whatever they call it) vaccination facilities are opened. People may scramble to receive jabs, creating potentially dangerous clusters. Untoward incidents…
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Intensifying vaccination drama in Thailand is taking place against an intriguing international backdrop featuring an apparent race between the West on one side and a Chinese-Russian alliance on the other…
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The prime minister is taking a big gamble with his future, something intertwined with the national course. The opposition has proposed an ironic and controversial way to handle COVID-19. The…
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It goes without saying that “Doing nothing” does not include wearing face masks, hand washing, and some exercise. The time has come once again for Thais to “de-group”, “de-party”, “de-politicize”,…
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Human beings’ “fights for freedom” have come a long way since the man loved and idolized by so many all across the world and considered a symbol of peaceful resistance…
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A few days ago, the most telling quote and the most telltale headline emerged as the world’s fight against COVID-19 entered a very crucial phase. “We are currently in a…
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More names are joining the fray thick and fast. They make the complex picture of Thai politics even more incomprehensible, compensating for the fact that street protests at the moment…
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Among top Thai political activists, Jatuporn Prompan is probably the most unpredictable. Wild speculation, therefore, has greeted his surprising plan to lead a separate street protest against the prime minister. Whatever…
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All of a sudden, it’s halfway through. Amid a reigning political chaos, it’s easy not to notice that Thais are now as close to the next general election as they…
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The referendum that endorsed the present Constitution in 2016 may be controversial, but the one that would re-affirm or question its worthiness will be far less so. The former referendum…
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March has been a bad month for the anti-establishment network, so far at least. Its public support has continued to decline, the royal portrait burning incident has planted more doubts…
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A moderate question to the increasingly splintered anti-establishment movement is where Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul was on Sunday. A harder question is whether ideologies that clashed many times in the history of…
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Although Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha appears to be sailing out of a big storm, his ship will still remain in uncharted waters, which could turn extremely treacherous at any moment….
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Most of the times, advices from perceived enemies can be discarded, but not those that come from friends or allies. Over the past few days, much caution has been pouring…
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Two most difficult periods to bring a politician to justice are during the peak of his (or her) power and the time after he has just lost it. Thailand has…
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Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will remain the prime target, but the similarities between the upcoming no-confidence attack and the last one end there. The rest of the strategy and the…
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Sometimes, ones explode their way out of a dark tunnel, whether they like it or not, or even intend it or not. Whatever Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit is thinking about being charged…
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The prime minister can be forgiven if he assumes that his previous problems were “political”, albeit ones that had more to do with ideology and power play than genuine well-being…
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The Capitol Hill tragedy may be an exception to US rules. Or it might not be. Donald Trump may have acted crazy after he “lost” the presidential election, but many…
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Nobody had been able to predict how 2020 would transpire, so it would be unwise to make assumptions about 2021. This much is clear politically: All key players have been…
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To Thai people, 2020 was a year of two halves, and nobody had seen either half coming. The first featured surreal and scary scenes of empty streets, quiet city nights…
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Some major political changes in Thailand followed high-profile troubles with the land. A Democrat-led government crumbled in the 1980s after some politicians of the ruling party were accused of grabbing…
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Arguably, the most ideologically ambivalent in the coalition government is the Democrat Party. Former leader Abhisit Vejjajiva quit the party’s helm largely because of his disagreement with tough constitutional measures…
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If it was a football game, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s rivals were taking a slim lead going into half time, at a big price in the form of severalkey players…
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At first, it looked like Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha would lose out quite easily. Then the tide turned and it appeared the anti-establishment protesters were facing a far tougher job…
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The red and blue colors marking who wins which states in the US presidential race are eerily similar to how Thailand’s map is painted after each general election. Consequences of…
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There are things that can never be reconciled, and one of them is clashing political ideologies. This is one of several reasons why the idea to set up a panel to…
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Thailand has had 20 constitutions since the end of the absolute monarchy in 1932, and 23 education ministers since 1997, the year the country produced what was considered its best…
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If the two-day special session of Parliament, held this week purportedly to seek possible solutions to the current political crisis, has achieved anything, it must be the greater clarity of…
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Thailand’s legislature has two days to prove it can tackle a crisis properly, or it can throw some more gasoline into a raging fire. At this hour, doubters are threatening…
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Picture a man surfing in a turbulent sea. That’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha at the moment. If he falls off and drowns, it will be no surprise. If he survives,…
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That one idea is popular does not necessarily mean it is the most workable, and this can be applied to a favourite concept of the hours, which calls for an…
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Political rallies are all about the numbers game: the larger the crowd, the more successful and powerful the protest appears to be. However, one glance at the numbers shows…
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Peace is the winner this weekend, although it’s still a very long way to go. A major student-led protest against several things in the Thai society brought about a huge…
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For decades, every charter amendment showdown has had the Senate as the main plot. Details may have varied, but they have revolved around the same questions: Should senators be appointed…
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It’s just over a decade to go, before Thailand’s awkward grappling with the questions about senators’ relevance, importance or lack thereof reaches the century mark. The struggles are related to…
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The key gesture of anti-government protesters apparently came from a Hollywood hit, the Hunger Games trilogy. However, the fictional ending and what red-shirted leader Jatuporn Prompan bemoaned last week carry…
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Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is having his back against the ropes, but he could be saved temporarily by an unlikely bell. If the charter amendment drive takes an unusual course,…
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The ambiguous involvement of the biggest opposition party in the on-going protests by youngsters against key establishments seems to be its only option. The protesters don’t need to worry about…
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When Vorayuth Yoovidhya crashed his supercar into a motorcycle, killing a police officer, Yingluck Shinawatra was Thailand’s prime minister and few people heard of Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit. At the time, the…
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In her Facebook post, former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra asked the National Anti-Corruption Commission to focus on the future instead of the past. If growing suspicion proves to be right,…
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Imagine a full-strength Pheu Thai smelling blood and firing on all cylinders against a government reeling from the “VIP” scandal related to COVID-19. Granted, that would not have put the…
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It has been a week the prime minister wants to forget. Whatever Prayut Chan-o-cha thought the government had achieved in the fight against COVID-19 was suddenly in jeopardy and the…
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An embattled political leader, disliked or even abhorred by at least half of his country, celebrates his nation’s most nationalistically important day by accusing his opponents of trying to undo…
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Everyone has to be worried about a recent opinion poll, which escaped general attention largely but probably best summarizes how deep the Thai politics is in dire straits. Thais…
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Whether Prawit Wongsuwan carries the ambition to become the new head of the biggest coalition party is not as clear as whether he owned the expensive watches that sparked a…
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Thaksin Shinawatra’s political camp is no stranger to reports, rumors or speculation about senior figures “leaving”. Most of the time any “split-up” was tactical, like when the now-defunct Thai Raksachart…
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It’s easier for three poor people to share one bowl of soup than for three rich people to share Bt50 million. This can very well be applied to “Three Friends”,…
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Some CNN commentators gritted their teeth amid Donald Trump’s shocking election victory nearly four years ago, and, in a broadcast seen globally, apparently tried to console themselves by saying that…
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Political analysts must primarily take stock of two things, which include a recent opinion poll predicting that “post-COVID-19 politics” will be very heated, and an admission by a former red-shirted…
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The message is loud and clear and global: When a COVID-19 vaccine is developed, it must be easily accessible virtually free of charge to all the world’s population. The calls…
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Two heads are better than one, goes a universal proverb. Which can also mean that two superpowers must be better than the rest of the world when it comes to…
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The daily numbers of COVID-19 cases in the country have been encouraging, but the good news remains quite limited, and the biggest nightmare can still come true. What if no…
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“New normal” is actually an old term. Over two decades ago, it referred to economic conditions following the financial crisis of 2007-2008 and then the aftermath of the 2008-2012 global recession….
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Good news for PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is that charter amendment will take a back seat, and the impact of the Future Forward Party’s dissolution, which had looked like a political…
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A lot of people, among them many scientists, said the COVID-19 outbreak may have something to do with the weather. Europe is colder than many parts of the world, goes…
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One of the most-maligned politicians in the global COVID-19 crisis is Donald Trump. But truth is that many of his key mistakes are typical in the conventional political system. In…
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Losing jobs hurts, and the knife is being arguably twisted with the state of emergency. Staying home, having repeated or sloppily-cooked menus and watching TV around the clock can be…
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Powers are flowing into the hands of rulers, among them much-maligned and yet strangely popular Donald Trump and former coup leader Prayut Chan-o-cha. But as democratic principles keep crumbling, albeit…
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What humans young or old assume to be “important” are going out one by one. Some stock market activities have been suspended. Sport events around the globe, with enormous commercial…
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As it turns out, the opposition’s censure attack, much taunted for its long delay, came about two weeks too early. Imagine the no-confidence debate taking place now, with half of…
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Thailand, like many places in the world, is facing a medical and economic crisis brought about by the fearsome COVID-19 virus. Throw in the political uncertainties on both side of…
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The defiant message was pretty much expected. You think you have killed us while in fact you have just made us more out of control, Future Forward told its supposed…
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The fate of former Pheu Thai Party leader and former deputy prime minister Yongyuth Wichaidit, sent to two years in jail earlier this week in connection with the Alpine golf…
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The opposition bloc has resolved one key issue for the upcoming no-confidence debate. But the jury is still out on the alliance’s late agreement to single out the prime minister…
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When it comes to an outbreak of a fearsome disease, nobody is right all along and nobody is wrong all the time. Like the Prayut government, the opposition is grappling…
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Everyone following one of the most brutal and deadliest robberies in recent Thai history was expecting anything but what has actually been panning out. When a respected, good-looking and well-mannered…
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The opposition will not jump for joy and Thailand’s oldest party will not celebrate, either. Korn Chatikavanij, who has bade farewell to the Democrat Party, will remain with the government…
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Over the past few days, three prominent political figures talked about proposed constitutional amendment. They may disagree on the timing, but an unspoken consensus is that it was no use…
Read MoreThe Pheu Thai Party has suffered a shock by-election loss. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has been deemed by Government House reporters a confused hypocrite, but his bigger worries should be…
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The Skywalk protest is most likely the point of no return. It’s where Future Forward leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit effectively “crossed the line” into a new territory in which he might…
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All evidence shows Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit and his top lieutenants saw it coming, but the Election Commission’s stand on their party’s loan controversy was near-fatal all the same. The young-blood politicians…
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The Election Commission does not need to present evidence that Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit lent money to his Future Forward Party, as he had admitted to that himself. The case, therefore, features…
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It may boil down to who manages crises better. The vulnerable Prayut government is staring at daily threats of rebellion but the Pheu Thai-led opposition is not in a perfect…
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As many analysts, detractors, opponents and insiders say, the Constitution Court’s Wednesday verdict against Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, stripping him of his MP status, is just the beginning. His and the Future…
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A “similar” process has been called for. The “situation”, however, is quite different. The paradox is that if the present Constitution is to be amended significantly, the only way to…
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A “shock and awe” campaign has been promised, but the apparently-imminent upcoming censure debate can make or break the opposition as much as it can give the Prayut Cabinet a…
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It will be a very tense build-up to November 20. Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit has taken his gloves off as he awaits a verdict that will not only determine his future but also…
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The math and stats emerging from Nakhon Pathom don’t look good for Future Forward. They, and what the party has said and done itself, combine to make the by-election loss…
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Will Future Forward “surpass” Pheu Thai? The question is becoming glaring with each passing day, underlined by the apparent reluctance of Chadchart Sittipunt to run in the Bangkok gubernatorial election…
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The seeds of Thailand’s two biggest troubles — the political divide and insurgency in the deep South — were apparently sowed in 2001. That year, national politics went past the…
Read MoreControversial media mogul Sondhi Limthongkul has made an intriguing point the other day when he warned Future Forward leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit against falling into a trap of old-fashion politics. The…
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“Leaders without maturity, who refuse to listen to cautions from well-meaning people, who are unaware that their mistakes can cause a damaging domino effect, can never make societies in critical…
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Thaksin Shinawatra’s downfall was due to many things, and one of the largely-underrated was the defection of a key lieutenant. Newin Chidchob took with him manpower, election strategies and political…
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