Follow Thai politics in English — government policy, elections, parliament and political developments, with reporting and analysis from Thai PBS World.
Progressive Movement core member Pannika Wanich says she has been banned from renewing her passport, following Phaya Thai police’s order to prevent the renewal of the passports of three core members of the movement, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, Piyabutr Saengkanokkul and herself. The letter said that the three are suspected of having committed sedition (Section 116 of
A Chiang Mai court ordered the Election Commission (EC) this morning (Thursday) to pay about 70 million baht in compensation including interest to former Pheu Thai MP Surapol Kiatchaiyakorn, after it damaged his reputation by ruling to discount his election result on the grounds of alleged vote buying. The lawsuit to demand compensation was filed
Thailand’s Election Commission (EC) has rejected a demand, from political activist Srisuwan Janya, for punitive action to be taken against former leader of the Palang Pracharath party, Uttama Savanayana, for approving the candidature of Sira Jenjaka in the March 2019 General Election. Sira was stripped of his parliamentary status by the Constitutional Court last December, after
In an expected result, former finance minister Uttama Savanayana was elected Sarng Anakot Thai party leader today (Wednesday) and the party has announced that it will nominate former deputy prime minister Somkid Jatusripitak as its prime ministerial candidate in the next general election. Uttama was formally elected at its first general assembly, which also saw the
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is opening 15 public venues, including parks and sport centres, for candidates running in the forthcoming Bangkok gubernatorial election to stage their election campaign rallies, said BMA Permanent Secretary Khachit Chatchavanich today (Wednesday). He said that candidates must apply in writing for permission from the permanent secretary to use any of the
The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders issued a warrant for the arrest of exiled former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra today (Tuesday), after she failed to appear for a hearing in a corruption case concerning a roadshow project. Yingluck, former deputy prime minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan and former secretary-general of the prime minister’s office
Vice Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office, Seksakol Atthawong, officially announced his resignation from the post today (Monday), effective tomorrow, following the leak of an audio clip of him asking to borrow 15 million Baht in a conversation with another political official, which has raised questions of possible irregularities and abuse of power. The audio clip
Deputy Prime Minister and Democrat Party Leader Jurin Laksanawisit offered a public apology this morning (Tuesday) over the sexual abuse scandal implicating its former deputy leader, Prinn Panitchpakdi, and announced his resignation as chair of two national committees on gender equality and women’s policies. “As leader of the Democrat party, I am profoundly sorry and
Accusations of sexual harassment and assault made against a rising star in the coalition Democrats have shocked not only the party’s supporters but Thai society in general. Prinn Panitchpakdi on Thursday (April 14) quit his post as Democrat deputy leader along with other party positions, including campaign chief for the May 22 Bangkok governor and
A Democrat party candidate in the Bangkok gubernatorial election, Dr. Suchatvee Suwansawat, said today (Saturday) that he believes Bangkok voters will be able separate the sexual harassment accusations, made against former Democrat deputy leader Prinn Panitchpakdi, and the election of a new governor for the capital. While declining to comment directly on whether Prinn’s case
Anti-establishment demonstrators celebrated Songkran on Bangkok’s Ratchadamnoen Avenue this afternoon (Wednesday) with a political message. They poured water on the Democracy Monument, drenched each other with buckets of water and played with water guns, all in defiance of the Government’s anti-COVID no water splashing restriction. Perhaps ironically, two high-powered water cannon were deployed, by the
After 17 years in politics, four-time MP Pareena Kraikupt from the ruling Palang Pracharath Party has been dealt a political death blow by the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders. Last Thursday, she was stripped of her MP status and banned for life from running for political office. The sentence came after the
