Follow Thai politics in English — government policy, elections, parliament and political developments, with reporting and analysis from Thai PBS World.
Foreign envoys in Thailand and the foreign media have welcomed the caretaker Thai Senate’s passing of the Marriage Equality bill yesterday, which will pave the way for same sex marriage in the country. A message from the Embassy of Ireland reads: “A wonderful festive atmosphere at Thai Government House to celebrate the passage of the
The Constitutional Court unanimously dismissed two petitions today, which claimed that the election laws calling for senatorial candidates to vote among themselves are unconstitutional. The ruling means that the Election Commission (EC) can proceed with the national-level voting for senators on June 26. The Constitutional Court’s statement on the case contained only three lines. Earlier,
Paroled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra will report to the Office of Attorney-General (OAG) tomorrow, to be formally indicted on a lèse majesté charge in the Criminal Court, one of Thaksin’s lawyers, Winyat Chartmontri, said today. He also said that he has already prepared surety, to be used in the application for bail for Thaksin.
July 10 has been set by the charter court as the date for the first hearing of a petition, submitted by a group of 40 former senators, accusing Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin of violating the Constitution by appointing Phichit Chuenban as PM Office Minister, despite him having served time in prison. Srettha could be stripped
The charter court convened today and set the date for the first hearing in the opposition Move Forward Party’s dissolution case, submitted by the Election Commission (EC), for July 3. The EC has also asked the court to debar the party’s executive members from politics, alleging that the party had attempted to overthrow the Constitutional
Paroled former prime minister Thaksin left his Chan Song La residence this morning for the Ratchadaphisek Criminal Court to be formally indicted with lese majeste and violation of Computer Crime Act charges by the public prosecutors. Travelling in a chauffeured Mercedes Benz, Thaksin was seen through the car’s window waving to a small army of
The Election Commission revealed today that 2,164 men and 836 women passed the provincial-level voting for new senators yesterday and they advance to the national-level vote on June 26 at the Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani. The 200 candidates who win the national-level vote will become senators. In Bangkok, 40 candidates, representing 20 background groups,
After a series of failed amnesty bills over the past decade, a new attempt to pardon people charged with lese majeste has become a burning issue that is adding heat to Thailand’s political conflict. Proposed forgiveness for people charged with political crimes has been a hot potato since 2013, when the Pheu Thai-led government’s attempt
Seven international human rights organisations have written an open letter to Thailand’s Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong, urging him to conduct a transparent investigation into the death of hunger striker Netiporn Sanesangkhom and to end “unlawful” detention of political offenders. The organisations claim that imprisonment of or denial of bail for political activists and protesters, especially
Senatorial candidates showed up this morning at the polling stations in their respective provinces to report for the provincial level elections of senators. 19,754 male and 12,436 female candidates, out of a total of 46,206 registered, passed the district level selection process last Sunday. The Election Commission’s (EC) secretary-general said today that only 3,080 candidates
Former Narathiwat MP and leader of the Wadah group of southern Muslim politicians Mr Wa Muhamad Noor Matha or Wan Nor was today voted leader of the newly-formed Prachachart Party at a meeting held in Pattani. Party members and supporters at the meeting at Prince of Songkhla University also voted in an executive committee which
