Follow Thai politics in English — government policy, elections, parliament and political developments, with reporting and analysis from Thai PBS World.
Former Democrat MP for Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thepthai Senpong, has come to the defence of Dr. Suchatvee Suwansawat, the Democrat party’s Bangkok gubernatorial candidate, after the House committee on prevention and suppression of corruption said it plans to invite Suchatvee for questioning about his wealth. Thepthai said today that the move by the House committee,
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said today (Thursday) that he will not dissolve the House or reshuffle his cabinet, but will carry on working and is ready to face the Opposition in the general debate scheduled for February 17th and 18th. In his first interview with reporters at Government House since his return from a two-day
The dates for a new general parliamentary debate, a chance to grill the government over its alleged failures, has been scheduled for February 17th and 18th , with the Opposition’s expectations that it can lead to political changes. Pheu Thai party leader Chonlanan Srikaew has said that the general debate, may not be just a chance for the
Bangkok will have 3 more constituency seats than it had at the last general election and still has more seats than any other province. Trat, Ranong, Samut Songkhram and Sing Buri will just have one seat each, in line with the new parliamentary seat allocation just completed by the Election Commission (EC). The allocation of
The Thai cabinet acknowledged today (Tuesday) the Interior Ministry’s plan to hold the elections for Bangkok’s governor, city and district councillors in May, according to Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam. He said that the countdown to the elections will start in March, because the Election Commission will need time to make preparations, such as the
Thailand’s cabinet today (Tuesday) approved, in principle, P-move activists and civic groups’ 15-point demand for mechanisms to ensure the basic rights of ethnic minorities to land settlement, community land title deeds and settlement of land disputes with the State Railway of Thailand and with Ban Bang Kloi land in Kaeng Krachan national park. P-move demonstrators
Interior Minister Gen Anupong Phaochinda today hinted at the possibility that the long-awaited Bangkok governor election could be held in May this year. He said an election for the mayor of Pattaya could also be held around the same time. This was the most concrete timeframe for the elections of the two cities offered
Pheu Thai party leader Chonlanan Srikaew is urging Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to dissolve parliament and to hold a snap election, noting that the defeat of the ruling Palang Pracharat party in yesterday’s Bangkok Constituency 9 by-election is a reflection of the government’s failure to ease people’s hardships. To return the power back to the
House Speaker Chuan Leekpai wants the scheduled parliamentary meetings this Wednesday and Friday to go ahead, despite 12 MPs and 13 parliamentary officials having COVID-19, because “the House must be able to function”, said Dr. Sukit Atthopakorn, advisor to the House Speaker, today (Sunday). He added that Chuan had suggested that preventive measures could be
The electorate in Bangkok’s Constituency 9 began voting at 8am this morning (Sunday), under the watchful eyes of some 800 police, election officials and representatives of political parties contesting the by-election. There are 280 polling units and 167,287 eligible voters in the two districts making up Constituency 9, with 83,712 in Lak Di district and
Pheu Thai Party’s candidate Surachart Thienthong has claimed victory in Bangkok’s Constituency 9 by-election in what is seen as a blow to the ruling Palang Pracharat Party which dominated the constituency in the last general election. Sombat Kanokthippawan, director of Laksi district and chairman of the election committee for the constituency, said by-election returns as
Palang Pracharat party candidate in the Bangkok Constituency 9 by-election, Saranrat Jenjaka, and her husband, former MP Sira, conceded defeat after ballots of half of the 280 polling units had been counted. At about 7.10pm this evening (Sunday), the unofficial vote count showed Pheu Thai party’s candidate Surachart Thienthong leading with 25,010 votes, followed by
