Follow Thai politics in English — government policy, elections, parliament and political developments, with reporting and analysis from Thai PBS World.
The opposition wasted no time today (Tuesday), the first day of the three-day debate in the Lower House, in attacking the annual budget bill, which they describe as incorrectly proportioned and prepared by “incompetent, visionless” government. Taking to the floor to grill the government over the 3.18 trillion baht budget bill for the 2023 fiscal year,
The Election Commission’s Chon Buri office ordered fresh elections, at two polling stations in Constituencies 1 and 4, for the mayor of Pattaya yesterday (Tuesday), to be held on Sunday June 12th, after it was discovered that the number of votes counted at the two places does not match the number of voters who registered
Opposition chief whip Suthin Klangsaeng admitted today (Tuesday) that he is not certain that opposition parties will be able to scupper the 2023 fiscal budget bill, deemed to be incorrectly proportioned by the Opposition and government critics, while government parties are confident that it will sail through its first reading in the Lower House. Suthin
Chadchart Sittipunt officially became the next Bangkok Governor today (Tuesday) at 3pm, after the Election Commission (EC) finally certified the results of the Bangkok gubernatorial election, which the independent candidate won by a landslide on May 22. The announcement came after a delay, due to a complaint filed with the EC by political activist Srisuwan
A lecturer in economics at Thammasat University is urging the government to scale down its defence spending and increase budgets to improve the livelihoods of the poor and pensioners and to stimulate the grass-root economy, in order to restore public trust and confidence, as the debate on the 3.18 trillion baht budget bill for the
The Election Commission (EC) has decided to postpone the endorsement of the official result of the Bangkok gubernatorial election until tomorrow (Tuesday), pending an investigation into the unofficial winner Chadchart Sittipunt’s use of vinyl fabric in his campaign posters. The investigation follows a complaint filed with the EC by political activist Srisuwan Janya, who has
Opposition parties are gearing up to grill the government over the 3.18 trillion baht budget bill for the 2023 fiscal year, with the aim of derailing it, scheduled to be debated in the House from tomorrow (Tuesday) until June 2nd. Deputy chief opposition whip and Pheu Thai MP in Ubon Ratchathani Somkid Chuekong said yesterday
The Campaign for Popular Democracy (CPD), a non-governmental organisation dedicated to the promotion of democracy and human rights, has called on the Thai government to scrap the emergency decree and laws restricting public gatherings and the activities of NGOs. In a statement, issued yesterday (Sunday), the CPD said that such laws are intended to centralise
Bangkok Governor-elect Chadchart Sittipunt has admitted that the most difficult problem to address in Bangkok is corruption, but claimed that he is more confident that he is on the right track to solve the city’s myriad problems with his 200 plus policies. After five consecutive days of on-site visits, to meet various people and city
House Speaker Chuan Leekpai has ordered all the recreational facilities in the controversial parliament club, with the exception of the gym, to be closed and converted into working space for parliamentary officials, said Democrat party-list MP Issara Sereewatthanawut today (Thursday), following backlash about the appropriateness of such lavish spending of taxpayers’ money. He explained that
Former Deputy Bangkok Governor Chakkaphan Phewngam and deputy leader of the Kla party, Pimuk Simaroj have been invited to join the new administration of Bangkok Governor-elect Chadchart Sittipunt. Chadchart explained today (Friday) that one of the reasons for the recruitment of Chakkaphan is because he also gets up at 4am every day, so they can
The Criminal Court agreed on Thursday to grant monarchy reformist Tantawan Tuatulanon bail for 30 days. Tantawan is charged with lèse majesté and other offences for conducting a poll about royal motorcades and questioning the authorities’ priorities. With Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat supervising her when she is out, to make sure that she
