Follow Thai politics in English — government policy, elections, parliament and political developments, with reporting and analysis from Thai PBS World.
Prime Minister’s Office Vice Minister Seksakol Atthawong said today (Wednesday) his new Ruamthai Sarngchart party can also accommodate Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, because he does not trust the politicians in the ruling Palang Pracharath party (PPRP). The former PPRP MP who announced his resignation earlier this week told the media that he is not sure
Thai opposition Move Forward party’s draft bill on same-sex marriage was dealt a blow today (Wednesday) when the House of Representatives voted to send it for vetting by the cabinet before its first reading in the House. On the same day, the progress of the opposition party’s liquor bill, intended to open up Thailand’s liquor
The House of Representatives today (Wednesday) decided to forward a “progressive” liquor draft bill, which seeks to break the oligopoly in liquor production in Thailand and allow new producers to enjoy a more competitive market, to the cabinet for its approval, before it is returned to Parliament for the first reading, adding two months to the
The cabinet has put on hold the Interior Ministry’s proposed 30-year extension of the concession contract of the BTS Skytrain Green Line system, between the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), the project’s owner, and BTS Group Holdings, the operator of the Skytrain, Deputy Government Spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek said today (Wednesday). The decision, the fourth time a
The Democrat Party has suffered a setback as its former legal team chief and veteran politician, Tawil Praisont, quits to join the opposition Move Forward Party. Democrat Party’s Spokesman Ramet Rattanachaweng said last night that he was shocked over and regrets the departure of Tawil, adding that the he has been instrumental in handling the party’s
Thailand’s self-proclaimed pro-democracy movement has experienced another crack in their ranks, after key Pheu Thai supporter “Kam Phaka” referred to Move Forward Party’s supporters as “Salim Phase 2”. Salim is a controversial term used by the anti-establishment movement and its supporters to describe people who support the establishment, particularly the military and the monarchy. It
Vice Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office Seksakol Atthawong, alias “Rambo Isan”, has quit the ruling Palang Pracharat party, reportedly to join the Ruamthai Sarngchart party. The outspoken vice minister, formerly a core member of the red-shirt movement, submitted his resignation letter to the party on January 27th without giving a reason for his departure. The
Senator Kamnoon Sidhisamarn has voiced full support for a recommendation, from his colleague Somchai Sawaengkarn, to deal with MPs refusing to declare their presence in parliament, causing two House meetings last week to collapse due to the lack of a quorum. In his Facebook post on Sunday, Senator Somchai said that a similar problem occurred
China has offered two used Song-class submarines to the Royal Thai Navy (RTN), but they need to be reconditioned before they can become operable, according to the RTN. A Chinese state enterprise in charge of managing decommissioned Chinese submarines reportedly approached the Thai military attaché in Beijing, offering to deliver the submarines to Thailand, but
Thailand’s former Deputy Attorney-General Nate Naksuk is asking society for a chance to prove that he can still be of value to the country by applying for a seat on the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC). Nate is currently under investigation by a 7-member panel, set up by the Prosecution Commission, to consider serious disciplinary action
Propelled in part by the wildly contagious omicron variant, the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 hit 900,000 on Friday, less than two months after eclipsing 800,000. The two-year total, as compiled by Johns Hopkins University, is greater than the population of Indianapolis, San Francisco, or Charlotte, North Carolina. The milestone comes more than 13 months
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha told MPs on both sides of the house today (Friday) that, if they want a general election, they must cooperate with one another by attending parliamentary meetings, especially to ensure the passage of the two pending election-related organic bills. He said he does not understand what kind of political game some
