Follow Thai politics in English — government policy, elections, parliament and political developments, with reporting and analysis from Thai PBS World.
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Wearing white ribbons, publicly hacking off their hair and making “Hunger Games” salutes – Thailand’s high school students are doing their best to shake up the country’s rigid education system. As university students stage weeks of high-profile campus protests for democracy, their younger brethren are advancing their own rebellion to Thailand’s establishment.
Mr. Sompong Amornvivat has quit as leader of the opposition Pheu Thai Party, effective today, to pave the way for a major shakeup of the party’s executive committee. On Friday, Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan, resigned as the party’s strategy chief, followed by the several other members of her committee, namely Pokin Polakul, Kittirat na Ranong and
The bi-partisan parliamentary panel, tasked with studying the six motions proposing amendments to Thailand’s constitution, is scheduled to meet for the first time next Wednesday in Parliament. Government chief whip Mr. Wirat Rattanaseth said today that the 31 members of the panel will study the proposed amendments and compare notes on points on which they
Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan has resigned as the chief of strategy for Thailand’s opposition Pheu Thai Party, and Anudit Nakhontap, the party’s secretary-general, is expected to follow suit. In her Facebook post today (Friday), Khunying Sudarat did not give a reason for her departure, but said that she is still a party member and will continue
A group of people, including students, in Thailand’s northern province of Chiang Mai staged a protest against the Government and held a mock installation of the Khana Rasadorn’s democracy plaque at the Sam Kasat Monument, as a symbol of the fight for democracy. The event also featured cultural and art exhibitions, a stage play and
Thailand’s Parliament President and House Speaker Chuan Leekpai said Thursday night that he was duped into believing that there would be a vote on each of the six motions proposing constitutional amendments. He told lawmakers at about 8.30pm that he was prepared for the vote, only to learn that the joint sitting of the Senate
Senator Thawil Pliensri has suggested that instead of amending the constitution, we should change people’s behavior. During the debate in Parliament today, the former National Security Council chief said he disagreed with amending the Constitution, given that about 16 billion baht of taxpayers’ money will have to be spent on holding three referenda, to
Members of Thailand’s Parliament and senators are due to vote this evening on the six constitutional amendment motions, proposed by both the Government and Opposition, as protesters from the Free People Movement stage a rally outside Parliament to demand a rewrite of the charter. Debate on the six motions, which began yesterday, and is
Palang Pracharat party-list MP Paiboon Nititawan’s attempt to block the Opposition’s four constitutional amendment motions has been quashed by House Speaker Chuan Leekpai. During the debate on proposed amendments, submitted by both the Government and Opposition camps this morning (Wednesday), Paiboon asked Chuan, who chaired the joint session, why his motion had not been included
Thailand’s Former Immigration Bureau Commissioner, Pol Lt-Gen Surachet Hakparn, lodged a complaint with the Central Administrative Court today, accusing Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha of abuse of power when ordering his transfer to an inactive post in the PM’s Office . Mr. Sitthi Ngarmlamyuang, Surachet’s lawyer, told the media today (Tuesday) that it has been one
The Thai Pakdee royalist group submitted a list of 130,000 signatures, from people who oppose any changes to the current Constitution, to the speakers of the House of Representatives and the Senate Wednesday morning, as a joint sitting began debating constitutional changes, as proposed by the Government and Opposition. A protest letter and the list
Police have removed the protesters’ democracy plaque from Sanam Luang, to be used as evidence against at least 16 protest leaders who are facing multiple charges, including lèse majesté, Royal Thai Police spokesman Pol Lt-Gen Piya Uthayo told the media on Monday. He said that relevant charges would be filed against each individual, adding that
