Follow Thai politics in English — government policy, elections, parliament and political developments, with reporting and analysis from Thai PBS World.
Police are to take legal action against those among the anti-establishment protesters who vandalized police property during the protest in front of the Royal Thai Police headquarters Wednesday night. Pol Col Siriwat Deepor, deputy spokesman for the RTP, told the media today (Thursday) that, after a survey of police property around the police headquarters last
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thai police have water cannon and teargas to fire at protesters. The answer: Inflatable yellow pool ducks. The giant ducks starred on Wednesday as thousands of protesters massed outside police headquarters in Bangkok. They had first made an appearance on Tuesday outside parliament in the most violent day of months of demonstrations
Parliament today voted in favour of two bills in their first reading that would pave the way for drafting of a new constitution but threw out the one proposed by iLaw as anti-government protesters resumed their demonstration in the heart of Bangkok. The two bills, proposed separately by government and opposition parties, seek to establish
The Reuters reports at least 55 people were hurt, some with gunshot wounds, when demonstrators marching on the Thai parliament clashed with police and royalist counter-protesters, in the worst violence since a new youth-led protest movement emerged in July. Police fired water cannon and teargas at protesters who cut through razor-wire barricades and removed concrete
The Thai cabinet has approved amendments to the abortion law, to allow a woman who is no more than 12 weeks pregnant to have an abortion. The bill to amend Sections 301 and 305 of the Criminal Code corresponds with a decision by the Constitutional Court, on March 3rd this year, which ruled that the
Bangkok’s Democracy Monument has long been the site of political protests in Thailand, most recently on Saturday, when the grand structure was wrapped in a white banner featuring pro-democracy demonstrators’ demands. First unveiled in 1940, this monument to “people power” features a golden tray carrying a giant symbol of the Thai Constitution to commemorate Thailand’s
At least 34 people were injured in scuffles with police during a rally in front of the parliament Tuesday while protesters vowed to return for another major demonstration at Ratchaprasong intersection in the heart of Bangkok on Wednesday evening to await the result of the Parliament’s vote on the constitutional amendment bills. Thousands of protesters
Deputy leader of the Palang Pracharat party, Mr. Paiboon Nititawan, has urged fellow MPs who want to protect the Monarchy to reject the draft constitutional amendment proposed by the Internet Law Reform Dialogue, or iLaw NGO, claiming that it is unconstitutional because the organization accepts foreign funding. In his speech on iLaw’s draft in parliament
As parliamentarians debated the bills seeking to amend the constitution, police battled anti-government protesters trying to break through barriers outside the Parliament at Kiakkai intersection. At one point scuffles also broke out between pro-democracy protesters and royalists dressed in yellow. As least 9 people were reported to have been injured after police used high pressure
Anti-government protesters vowed to return for another major rally at Ratchaprasongintersection in the heart of Bangkok on Wednesday evening to await the result of the Parliament’s vote on the constitutional amendment bills. Thousands of protesters who occupied the area at the front gate of the Parliament after having broken through police barriers started dispersing around
Thousands of anti-government protesters have forced their way through police barriers to rally at the main gate of the parliament where parliamentarians are debating bills seeking to amend the constitution. The protesters broke through the barriers despite being bombarded with high-pressure water jets and tear-gas. At least 9 people were reported injured in the scuffles
“I feel it is about education. I think, if the standard of education were good, other things would follow. If the infrastructure were good, other things can improve,” said Issadaorn kulsantao, one of the core members of “Bad Student” movement. A network of high-school students started their movement in May last year, under the name
