Follow Thai politics in English — government policy, elections, parliament and political developments, with reporting and analysis from Thai PBS World.
Police investigators have been checking CCTV footage, captured at and behind Jana district railway station in Thailand’s southern province of Songkhla, for clues to the identity of suspects following an explosion which killed one and wounded three other policemen and a civilian on Sunday. A video clips show white smoke from the explosion at a
A slim majority of the Thai people believe that political polarization will continue after the new government is in place and the problem will not be resolved because it is deeply entrenched in Thai society, according to a Suan Dusit Poll today. The poll gauged the opinions of 1,107 people between May 22nd and
Democrat party deputy leader Alongkorn Polaboot has hit back at Pheu Thai party election strategy chief, Sudarat Keyuraphan, after she accused the Democrat party of betraying the trust of the people by “mutating and cohabiting with the dictatorship”. In her Facebook post on Saturday night, after Democrat party chief advisor Chuan Leekpai was elected
President of the Privy Council General Prem Tinsulanonda died this morning of heart failure at Phra Mongkut hospital. He was 98 years old. General Prem was rushed to hospital from his Sisao Thewet residence by a military aide at about 5am for emergency treatment, but he was pronounced dead at around 9am. Born
The Democrat party’s chief advisor Chuan Leekpai has been elected Speaker of the House of Representatives, receiving 258 votes. The other contender, Mr. Sompong Amornvivat of the Pheu Thai party, received just 235 votes. Mr. Leekpai was nominated by Palang Pracharat party-list MP Natthaphon Teepsuwan, whereas Sompong was nominated by Mr. Sukarno Matha of the
The first meeting of the House of Representatives was anything but smooth and orderly as it was marred by protests and boos from several MPs, who were apparently venting their pent-up frustration after being gagged for the past five years under the junta’s rule. The first sign of disorder emerged when the House secretary-general, Mr.
Embattled Future Forward party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit can attend the formal opening of parliament today, presided over by His Majesty the King in the conference hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Secretary-general of the House of Representatives, Mr. Sorasak Pienwech, said that his office has yet to receive a formal order from the Constitutional
Pheu Thai party’s election strategy chief Sudarat Keyuraphan today warned the Democrat and Bhumjaithai parties not to betray the trust of the people who voted for their pro-democracy platform, saying the people still remember their promise. She said that the Pheu Thai party is still to see whether the two mid-sized parties will keep their
NEW DELHI/KOLKATA (Reuters) – Prime Minister Narendra Modi swept to a huge election victory on Thursday, on course to increase his majority and give his party the mandate to pursue business-friendly policies that put Hindus first and take a hard line on national security. Official data from the Election Commission showed Modi’s Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya
The Election Commission’s Office has accepted a petition, submitted by political activist Srisuwan Janya, demanding an investigation to determine whether the Future Forward party leader’s loan of 110 million baht to the party during the pre-election period is legal. EC chairman Itthiporn Boonprakong said today that the EC’s Office will now summon Srisuwan for a
Senatorial candidate for Nong Gee district of Thailand’s northeastern province of Buri Ram, Mr. Banchob Namwiset, has become the first post-election politician to be stripped of his voting rights for ten years by the Supreme Court’s Electoral Cases Division. The Court found the 60-year old government official guilty of offering bribe to another candidate in
The US Homeland Security Investigation Office has appointed an attorney to take legal action against a private museum in San Francisco for alleged involvement in the smuggling of several artifacts to the US from Thailand. Culture Minister Veera Rojpojanarat said today that Thailand managed to secure the return of one item, a lintel from the
