Opinion pieces and commentary on Thailand's current affairs, in English, from Thai PBS World contributors.
Education Minister Nataphol Teepsuwan is expected to gain the fewest approval votes following his censure-debate grilling this week, amid speculation that up to 30 MPs will give him the thumbs-down. The opposition claims MPs from both sides of the House are dissatisfied with Nataphol’s performance. MP Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, spokesman for the opposition Move Forward Party,
The government’s handling of economic problems worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to be the core of the no-confidence debate starting on Tuesday (Feb 16). Opposition MPs are poised to accuse Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and other nine Cabinet members of mismanagement that has led to economic disaster. The opposition’s main focus will be
Thirty-eight opposition MPs have been allocated 42 hours on the floor during the four-day censure debate, which kicks off on Tuesday (Feb 16), with voting scheduled for Saturday (Feb 20). As well as Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, the other ministers being targeted are Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, Commerce Minister Jurin
The battle over Thailand’s lèse majesté law has intensified with supporters and opponents coming out in full force to fight for their cause. Representing opponents of the Criminal Code’s Article 112, Move Forward Party on Wednesday (Feb 10) submitted a bill seeking changes to legal provisions for the crime of insulting the monarchy. A royalist
The current junta-sponsored Constitution is among the most condemned charters in Thai history, yet also arguably one of the most difficult to amend. The push for charter change received another blow on Tuesday (Feb 9), when lawmakers voted 366:316 to seek a Constitutional Court ruling on whether the ongoing parliamentary process to pave the way for
Amid all the confusion about Thailand’s COVID-19 vaccination plans, two things are very clear: People will not start getting inoculated from Valentine’s Day no matter what top government figures said earlier, and the first vaccine to arrive will be China’s CoronaVac. Thailand was hit by COVID-19 more than a year ago, and in the eyes
The review of two charter draft bills has been completed, paving the way for changes to the 2017 Constitution that is at the heart of Thailand’s political impasse. However, critics doubt the charter rewriters will be free from political interference. Last November, lawmakers passed the two charter amendment drafts in the first reading. The drafts
Move Forward, Thailand’s second-largest opposition party, has been hit by accusations that could result in its dissolution after less than a year in politics. Move Forward or Kao Klai is a reincarnation of the now-defunct Future Forward Party, which was dissolved by the charter court in February last year for receiving an illegal loan. Some
A 99-year-old grandmother says she will go to prison if the government sues for repayment of Bt100,000 in subsidies whose overlapping claim rules were too complicated for her to understand. “How could I know that I am not eligible for these subsidies for the elderly?” asked Saeng Sudkhum. “Besides, I have no means to return
A widening rift between coalition partners Palang Pracharath and the Democrats over the upcoming Nakhon Si Thammarat by-election is threatening to undermine the government’s stability. After falling out over several issues, relations between the two ruling parties now appear increasingly shaky. The March by-election was called after the Constitutional Court terminated Democrat politician Theptai Senapong’s
Thailand is bracing for unprecedented chaos in Parliament later this month when the opposition shatters a deep-seated taboo by citing the monarchy in its censure motion against the prime minister. Involving the monarchy in the no-confidence motion has sparked angry accusations from the government camp that this constitutes a grave insult to the revered institution.
The opposition is unlikely to upend the government in next month’s censure debate, as has been the case previously. But its performance will show if opposition MPs are indeed serious about scrutinising the powers-that-be and if they are up to the task of protecting taxpayers’ interests. The opposition bloc’s performance during last year’s no-confidence debate
