Follow Thai politics in English — government policy, elections, parliament and political developments, with reporting and analysis from Thai PBS World.
The fate of the Bhumjaithai Party’s Cannabis Bill has been thrown into limbo once again, after numerous MPs refused to declare their presence in the chamber, bringing the House meeting to a premature end due to the lack of a quorum. The House was scheduled to vote on Section 11 of the bill, which the
Interior Permanent Secretary Suttipong Juljarern appears to be in hot water again, as people in Phuket plan to rally at the new provincial hall on Thursday to protest over his alleged insults aimed at the provincial administration’s garbage disposal and environment management. Suttipong was also accused of threatening to ask the international community to oppose
The Thai cabinet agreed on Tuesday to present “New Year gifts” to people in the Deep South. They include a free lunch program for children attending religious schools, nutritional food and vitamin supplements for mothers and their children, promotion of the learning of foreign languages and development of language skills among students. Another “gift” from
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said on Tuesday that he is waiting for the right timing to apply to become a member of the United Thai Nation Party adding, however, that he is ambivalent as to whether he will be named the party’s chairman. He also said that he is no conflict with Deputy Prime Minister
Secretary-General of the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission, Bhumivisan Kasemsook, said today (Tuesday) that the National Anti-Corruption Command Centre received 2,351 complaints from the public between June 22nd, 2020 and December 28th, 2022, of which 1,430 have been investigated and concluded. 912 cases are currently being processed. The Interior Ministry had the most complaints. Other governmental
Opposition parties plan to grill Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and other cabinet ministers in a debate early next year. Pheu Thai MP Tasanee Buranupakorn said on Saturday that the party will meet in the New Year to discuss the censure debate in more detail, such as which other ministers will be grilled and on what
The Sarng Anakot Thai and the Thai Sang Thai parties have agreed to form political alliance, reportedly to find a way out of Thailand’s political quagmire. The alliance, short of a merger, was announced at a meeting this morning (Thursday), in a Sukhumvit area restaurant in Bangkok, between key members of the two parties, including
Former Commerce Minister Mingkwan Saengsuwan, who joined the ruling Palang Pracharath Party just 22 days ago, has quit. Informed political sources said that Mingkwan has tendered his resignation as a member of the ruling coalition party to the Election Commission. Details of the resignation letter or the reasons behind his decision are not currently available.
The opposition Pheu Thai Party is gearing up for the general election in 2023 by showcasing Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the youngest daughter of its patriarch Thaksin, and is expected to announce her as its prime ministerial candidate. Though a political novice, Paetongtarn’s prominent position in the party – overshadowing even party leader Chonlanan Srikaew – has
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul declared Tuesday that his Bhumjaithai Party will play a key role in forming the next post-election government. “Our desire has always been to move from being a small political party to be a medium-sized one before becoming a major party,” Anutin said. Bhumjaithai, currently a major component in the current
As 2022 draws to a close, politicians and parties are busy preparing for a general election due sometime in the next few months. Small parties are opting to merge as a survival strategy, after changes to the electoral system that are set to benefit larger parties with a strong support base. Some small parties have
The Bhumjaithai Party is ready to join hands with any party to form a new government, after the next general election. Its leader, Anutin Charnvirakul, is qualified to be the next prime minister, according to Newin Chidchob, a former key member of the party, in an exclusive interview with Thai PBS. Although he used to
