Follow Thai politics in English — government policy, elections, parliament and political developments, with reporting and analysis from Thai PBS World.
Known as “Jack the giant slayer” for his role in bringing down then-prime minister Samak Sundaravej in 2008, serial petitioner Ruangkrai Leekitwattana has now set his sights on Pita Limjaroenrat. Ruangkrai has triggered legal challenges that threaten to detonate the Move Forward Party leader’s bid to become Thailand’s next prime minister. Pita and his eight-party
Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul announced today (Sunday) that the party will not join any coalition with a party that advocates amendment of the lèse majesté law. He also brushed aside the suggestion that his party may join other parties to form a minority government, saying that minority government is old-style politics, which is irrelevant and
Bhumjaithai party leader Anutin Charnvirakul has dismissed the suggestion that the party take the lead in forming an alternative administration, in case the eight coalition parties led by the Move Forward party fail to form a government. As the third largest party, after Move Forward and Pheu Thai, in terms of House seats, he said
The Constitution should be amended to protect democracy and render it impossible to organise a putsch to overturn the constitution, with the courts held duty-bound to safeguard democratic rule. These concepts for inclusion in a new charter for Thailand were shared by participants in a seminar held today (Saturday) at the Faculty of Law of
His Majesty the King is scheduled to preside over the official opening of the new parliamentary session at the parliament building on July 3rd at 5pm. A Royal Decree, counter-signed by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, was promulgated on Friday, announcing the opening of the first parliamentary session since the May 14th general election. The opening
Thai Sang Thai Secretary-General Sita Divari warned the Move Forward and Pheu Thai parties today (Friday) to stop quarrelling over the House speakership and unite. In his Facebook post today, Sita wrote “Bandits unite when they rob, but will quarrel when it comes time to split the loot.” “Don’t forget that we used this wording
The tussle between the Move Forward and Pheu Thai parties over the House speakership is expected to be settled before the House of Representatives meets for the first time, scheduled for July 4th, to vote for the speaker and two deputy speakers, Pheu Thai party leader Chonlanan Srikaew said today (Thursday). While admitting that there
The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on Myanmar’s defense ministry and two banks used by the ruling military junta to buy arms and other goods from foreign sources. The U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement the military has relied on foreign sources, including Russian entities under sanctions, to purchase and import arms, equipment and raw materials to manufacture
Move Forward party leader Pita Limjaroenrat has tested positive for COVID-19 and will not be able to attend a meeting of leaders of the eight coalition parties scheduled for this Thursday, said Chaithawat Tulathon, the party secretary-general, today (Tuesday). He also said that Pita will miss a seminar with all the party’s MPs, which starts
Officials of the Office of Secretariat of the House of Representatives conducted a rehearsal today (Tuesday) of the voting process for the selection of the House speaker, the two deputy House speakers and the new prime minister. An informed parliamentary source said that the selection of the House speaker and two deputy speakers is expected
Serial petitioner Ruangkrai Leekitwattana has urged the Election Commission (EC) to ask the Constitutional Court to rule on whether Move Forward party leader Pita Limjaroenrat is qualified to be an MP, in his latest solo crusade to prevent the party’s candidate from becoming prime minister. Now that the EC has confirmed all 500 MPs in
The US government is increasing pressure on the Myanmar military regime with additional sanctions on two state-owned banks, which will take effect on June 20th, according to a diplomatic source. The source said that the banks are the Myanmar Foreign Trade Bank and the Myanmar Investment and Commercial Bank. The new sanctions are aimed at
