Follow Thai politics in English — government policy, elections, parliament and political developments, with reporting and analysis from Thai PBS World.
The former democrat MP for Thailand’s Nakhon Si Thammarat province, Thepthai Senpong, was retroactively stripped of his parliamentary status, effective from September 16th last year, by the Constitutional Court on Wednesday. The ruling, which was read by Judge Banchongsak Wongprat, stripped the outspoken politician of his status in accordance with Sections 101 (6), 98 (4)
Thailand’s government coalition parties have threatened to protest if the opposition makes any reference to the Monarchy during the censure debate in mid-February. Government chief whip Wirat Rattanaseth said, on Tuesday, that he would feel uncomfortable with any reference to the Monarchy in the opposition’s censure motion which, in essence, says that the prime minister
A US aircraft carrier group sailed into the South China Sea on a so-called “freedom of navigation” exercise, the first routine operation in the region under new President Joe Biden. Led by the USS Theodore Roosevelt, the carrier strike group entered the area Saturday, the US Indo-Pacific Command said, the same day Taiwan reported multiple
Boris Johnson and Joe Biden on Saturday vowed to deepen ties and cooperate on tackling climate change in their first conversation since the US president’s inauguration, the British prime minister’s office said. Johnson congratulated Biden on his inauguration and “the two leaders looked forward to deepening the close alliance between our nations”, said the statement
The pro-Monarchy Thai Pakdee group has decided to transform itself into a fully-fledged political party, to oppose the Kao Klai party and two anti-establishment groups, the Progressive Movement and the “Three-Finger Mob”. Dr. Warong Dechgitvigrom, Thai Pakdee’s founder, told Thai PBS on Wednesday that the decision to become a political party a response to calls
Anti-establishment protesters demonstrated in front of Icon Siam shopping mall on Tuesday, to demand an apology from its management after a security guard allegedly assaulted one of the protesters. Three members of the “United Front Thammasat and Demonstrations”, which is affiliated with the Ratsadon anti-establishment group, rallied at the mall, carrying placards protesting the government’s
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has criticized Progressive Movement leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, accusing him of not being grateful to the “Mother Land” for his alleged attempt to politicize the government’s procurement of COVID-19 vaccines. Mr. Anutin was referring to Thanathorn’s criticism of the government’s procurement of vaccine from Oxford-AstraZeneca via Siam Bioscience, a Thai pharmaceutical
An anti-Monarchy author was sentenced to four years and six months in prison this morning (Monday), by the Criminal Court, after he was found guilty of violating the country’s lèse majesté law (Section 112 of the Criminal Code) and the Computer Crimes Act. Siraphob Korn-arut was charged for posting poems, commentary and cartoons mocking then
Eleven members have been appointed to the newly-formed reconciliation committee tasked with finding a solution to the ongoing political conflict. However, representatives from the opposition and anti-government protesters are so far absent from the panel, after they refused to join this fresh effort towards national harmony. Parliament President Chuan Leekpai, who is also the House
Police are to issue warrants for the arrest of at least two people suspected of throwing a “ping pong bomb” onto a group of police officers in front of the Chamchuri shopping mall on Saturday, slightly injuring three police and a reporter. Pol Maj-Gen Piya Tawichai, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said Sunday
Three anti-riot police officers and a reporter were slightly injured this afternoon (Saturday) when a missile, thought to be some type of explosive device, was thrown at a group of officers in front of Chamchuri Square on Rama 4 Road, in the Sam Yan area of Bangkok. At the time, about 10 anti-establishment protesters were
Though a reconciliation committee has now been established, critics say it has little chance of resolving Thailand’s ongoing political conflict when one side is absent from the panel. Proposed by Parliament President Chuan Leekpai to address demands issued by youth-led anti-establishment protesters, the 11-member panel features ruling-coalition politicians and military-appointed senators. Though it also includes
