Follow Thai politics in English — government policy, elections, parliament and political developments, with reporting and analysis from Thai PBS World.
The Future Forward party has dismissed widespread speculation, even among opposition MPs, that it is likely to be dissolved by the Constitutional Court over a number of cases pending with the court and other independent organizations. Future Forward secretary-general Piyabutr Saengkanokkul said Monday that he didn’t understand why there is speculation now, adding that, in
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and his cabinet ministers this morning received a signed blessing from His Majesty the King, which His Majesty had delivered during the swearing-in ceremony on July 16. The unprecedented and brief ceremony was held at about 9am at Government House. Prior to the ceremony, the Prime Minister told reporters not to
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and his cabinet ministers have been granted an audience before an image of His Majesty the King at the Government House on Tuesday morning to accept the King’s July 16th written message. According to a circular, distributed to all cabinet ministers, the audience at Government House at 9am Tuesday is related
Abdulloh Esor Musor, a suspected insurgent being held in military custody for questioning after his arrest on July 20th, died early Sunday morning. He had to be rushed, unconscious, to Pattani provincial hospital the day following his apprehension, and subsequently to Songkhlanagarind Hospital in neighbouring Songkhla province. The Songkhlanagarind Hospital said in a statement that
United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) chairman Jatuporn Promphan and two former red-shirt leaders, Natthawut Saikua and Arisman Pongruangrong, have been ordered by the Supreme Court to collectively pay 19.3 million baht compensation for the destruction by fire of a building in downtown Bangkok during the red-shirt protests against the Abhisit administration in 2010.
Most younger generation Thai people favour the Future Forward party, while older Thais prefer the Palang Pracharat party, especially Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, said Mr. Noppadol Kannikar, director of the Super Poll Research Office, citing its latest opinion poll results. Super Poll gauged the opinions of 1,616 respondents between August 10th and 24th and the
The Ombudsman is expected to rule next Tuesday on whether Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha breached the Constitution by failing to recite the oath in full during the swearing-in ceremony in front of His Majesty the King in July, said Mr. Raksakecha Chaechai, secretary-general of the Ombudsman’s Office, on Saturday. He said that officials from the
In apparent defiance of Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin announced Friday that he would not quit as a Palang Pracharat party-list MP, claiming that, by retaining his parliamentary membership, he would be able to perform his duties and to reach out to his constituents more efficiently. He said he could not
The opposition Pheu Thai Party has backed down over a plan to investigate three of its MPs, for the northeastern province of Surin, for showing up to welcome Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha during his visit to the province on Monday. An informed party source said today (Thursday) that, if a committee was set up to
The House of Representatives on Thursday voted down a motion from a Future Forward MP to set up an additional House panel on gender diversity. The House voted 365 to 101, including 70 from the Future Forward party, to reject the motion by Future Forward party-list MP Ms. Nateepat Kulasetthasit. The motion called for the
There are 10 rich MPs, who have over one billion baht in assets each, while the poorest MP has 5,064 baht in his bank account, according to reports from the Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission. Of the 10 billionaire MPs, Mrs. Nathee Ratchakitprakarn, a party-list MP of the Bhumjaithai Party, the spouse of Tourism
The New Economics Party is still aligned with the Opposition but it may, when necessary, take an independent position, party leader Mingkwan Sangsuwan announced on Wednesday in parliament. He dismissed as untrue a rumour that some of its MPs will defect to Palang Pracharat, the government’s core party, stressing all the party’s six MPs are
