Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has faced a total of five Constitutional Court cases that threatened to unseat him since taking power after the March 2019 general election General Prayut…
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Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has faced a total of five Constitutional Court cases that threatened to unseat him since taking power after the March 2019 general election General Prayut…
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One chapter has just been closed. Prayut Chan-o-cha’s nail-biting survival act is in the middle of the book at most, with Thailand’s political turmoil only entering a new phase, where…
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All eyes across Thailand will be on the Constitutional Court on Friday (September 30), when it is scheduled to rule on whether General Prayut Chan-o-cha has completed eight years as…
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The economic czar for several previous administrations, Somkid Jatusripitak is back in the spotlight and bidding to take the helm of the next government. The renowned economist recently announced his…
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Khunying Potjaman Damapong’s rare appearance at a Pheu Thai Party rally on September 10 was viewed as symbolic for a woman believed to be the party’s de-facto chief. Her ex-husband,…
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Soldier turned peace campaigner, General Ekkachai Srivilas was best remembered for his role as director of the Office for Peace and Governance at King Prajadhipok’s Institute (KPI). That was the…
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It is rare for Thai politicians to voluntarily vacate their seats, not to mention a coveted ministerial post. But that was exactly what Deputy Interior Minister Nipon Boonyamanee did last…
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Thailand’s Constitutional Court is poised to issue its ruling on the expiry date of suspended prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s eight-year tenure after a special meeting of the nine judges was…
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Since his very first day as acting prime minister, Gen Prawit Wongsuwan has aroused suspicion that he intends to take the post from the current holder. General Prayut Chan-o-cha was…
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As Thailand waits anxiously for a court verdict that will determine the political future of General Prayut Chan-o-cha and whether he stays on as the country’s prime minister, the clock is…
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Thailand’s Election Commission (EC) will not have the legal authority to hold the next general election under the amended Constitution, which divides the country into 400 constituencies, if the House…
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The nature of the decision by the constitutional court last Wednesday might have been unexpected for many people, as it ordered Prayut Chan-o-cha to cease performing his duties as prime…
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Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan is generally considered a weak link in Prayut Chan-o-cha’s administration, tainted by the scandal over a multimillion-baht wristwatch collection, despite his repeated denials of…
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Acting Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan today (Friday) declined to comment on speculation that a Cabinet reshuffle is in the cards under his watch. “There is nothing to it,” said Prawit…
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Now that the court has suspended Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha from duty after agreeing to rule on his eight-year term limit, an important question arises: What next? The Constitutional Court’s…
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A major political suspense is materializing following Wednesday’s Constitutional Court decision to suspend Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha from duty. But it will also a period when everyone is restless, has…
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Wednesday’s suspension of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha from his duties by Thailand’s charter court may raise questions over whether investor confidence and public investments are being affected. The country’s finance…
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Chuan Leekpai, President of Thailand’s National Assembly and House Speaker, is expected to submit the opposition parties’ petition to the Constitutional Court today (Monday), to seek a ruling on Prime…
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Supporters of Thaksin Shinawatra say the recent Central Tax Court ruling in his favour proves his innocence in a multibillion-baht tax case. But his critics argue the verdict instead confirmed…
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The answer depends primarily on two factors. The first one is quite ironic considering the Palang Pracharath “conspiracy theory”, which is doing the rounds and not for the first time….
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August 24 has portents of becoming judgement day as leaders of many youth movements are planning major protests if Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha holds on to power he seized eight…
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New political parties are being launched to extend the rule of the so-called “3Ps” – generals Prayut, Prawit and “Pock” – after the next election, say political analysts. Ruamthai Sarngchart…
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Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha may be able to remain in office for two more years, if the Constitutional Court rules that his 8-year term does not come to an end…
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The draft bill to amend the electoral law – which saw a last-minute change in the calculation method for party-list MPs – now seems to be doomed. The joint Parliament…
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Questions over whether Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha can legally remain in office after August 24 have resurfaced as the date approaches. On that date, Gen Prayut will have been in…
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From the Catholic voting bloc to American evangelicalism and progressive atheists, the groups are prone to being generalized as a distinctive bloc with a particular approach to politics. At a…
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A Pheu Thai “landslide” is very likely, no matter how the party-list calculation fights end. In fact, despite the Thai Raksa Chart setback and failure to win a single party-list…
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Interior Minister Anupong Paochinda was hit by the highest no-confidence vote among the 11 Cabinet members targeted by the opposition in last week’s censure debate. Of the 212 votes against…
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A bribery scandal involving Thailand’s national airline and British jet engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce is back in the media spotlight after the Thai anti-graft agency concluded that their engine procurement deal…
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Allegations that Thai authorities used surveillance spyware on government critics returned to haunt those in power just a day before the no-confidence debate started on Tuesday. It was reported that…
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Here’s a simple question: Who was the last Cabinet member to be ousted in a no-confidence vote? The answer is “Don’t torture your brain” because everyone has survived no-confidence voting…
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This week’s censure debate — the fourth and final under the current House of Representatives’ four-year term — is unlikely to bring down the government of Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha. However,…
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The first Bangkok governor and council elections since the 2014 coup restored some control over city rule to its residents earlier this year. However, the capital is still missing its…
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“Anything can happen in Thai politics” was Thai Economic Party leader Thammanat Prompow’s reply when asked about the possibility of allying with the opposition Pheu Thai Party after the next…
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“Rules-based International Order” is a term that we have heard constantly in interviews with the US secretary of state Anthony Blinken over the past year. The reason the US is…
Read MoreThaksin Shinawatra’s recent boast that his proxy party Pheu Thai could win by a landslide at the next general election, expected early next year, seems to have scared leaders in…
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Suranand Vejjajiva vowed to stay out of politics for good after the government of Yingluck Shinawatra – in which he served as secretary-general to the prime minister – was overthrown…
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Thailand’s 12-billion-baht Parliament complex opened in May last year after eight years of construction – yet it is still drawing complaints of defects and quality issues. Since its inception in…
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For the first time in the city’s history, Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt has designated locations for public gatherings, bringing joy to political activists planning protests but causing concern among many…
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Thailand is mourning veteran Thai art critic and artist practitioner Thanom Chapakdee, who was best known for practicing what he liked to refer to as the “Aesthetics of Resistance” calling…
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The opposition Move Forward Party has been cleared of serious charges that threatened its dissolution after the Election Commission (EC) decided not to forward an accuser’s complaint to the Constitutional…
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Although Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt has vowed to revolutionize the city’s budgeting process, significant change is on hold as the budget plan for next year has already been prepared under…
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Two months ago, the coronavirus would have still been a “sexy” topic at the no-confidence debate. But the relevant numbers are going down, and economic suffering has been too related…
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A Phnom Penh court convicted around 60 opposition figures including an outspoken US-Cambodian activist in a mass trial Tuesday as long-serving leader Hun Sen cracks down on dissent ahead of…
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Thammanat Prompao has become a party leader for the first time in his career — a crowning success for any politician. However, analysts say his recent rise to head the…
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Newly elected Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt has injected new energy into the capital with his distinctive work style. In stark contrast to his predecessors, Chadchart is down-to-earth, highly active, and…
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Once highly admired for his campaigns against corruption and lack of transparency, social activist Srisuwan Janya is now facing widespread ridicule after he accused new Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt of…
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For many observers, the hope surrounding Bangkok’s newly elected governor is matched by excitement over the team he has chosen to work alongside him. As Chadchart Sittipunt takes charge of…
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While most newly elected politicians enjoy a “honeymoon period” with the public, incoming Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt expects nothing of this kind. “There’s no time for a honeymoon,” Chadchart declared,…
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Vote tallies from the recent Bangkok Council elections show that support for the liberal camp is growing at the expense of the conservatives in the capital. If the Election Commission…
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The Pheu Thai Party has a strong cause for celebration. Move Forward, if it wants to celebrate as well, must do so cautiously. The Democrats still have their work cut…
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The 2022 Bangkok gubernatorial election, which saw independent candidate Chadchart Sittipunt win by a landslide, looks set to change Thailand’s politics in a big way. Its impacts are now being…
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Chadchart Sittipunt’s landslide victory at last Sunday’s governor election — with more than 1.38 million votes or over 50 percent of all ballots cast — was viewed by many as…
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Opinion surveys of voters before elections have been a commonplace occurrence in Thailand for years, yet their findings are often a poor guide to the actual vote results. In fact,…
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Chadchart Sittipunt’s stunning landslide may have hidden scrambled messages voters in the capital delivered on Sunday in the Bangkok gubernatorial election, but arguably the real nightmare for the shaken powers-that-be…
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Chadchart Sittipunt is on course to becoming Bangkok’s first elected governor in nine years after securing a landslide victory in Sunday’s gubernatorial election. According to the unofficial vote count, he…
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The Bangkok gubernatorial and council elections on Sunday are a reflection of the political conflict in Thailand, between self-proclaimed pro-democracy liberals, who include the Pheu Thai and Move Forward parties,…
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Although independent candidate Chadchart Sittipunt topped most recent opinion polls for this Sunday’s Bangkok governor election, his four main rivals from the conservative camp remain hopeful of causing an upset….
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With Bangkok’s budget ranging between 70 billion and 80 billion baht per year, people voting for the city’s new governor this Sunday may be keen to find out which candidate…
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As the government sails towards another censure-debate storm, coalition MP Pichate Satirachaval is creating dangerous waves in the ruling Palang Pracharath Party – just months after joining it. Pichate claims…
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If there’s no such thing as bad publicity, then someone forgot to tell the transgender influencer who posted a controversial clip promoting e-commerce giant Lazada. Known by the handle “Nara…
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Excitement is rising as around 4.4 million Bangkok voters prepare to cast their ballots in the first gubernatorial election for almost 10 years. But this time, their participation in the…
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Bangkokians choose their next governor on May 22, the latest episode in 50 years of administration that has shaped the world capital that we know today. Here, Thai PBS World reviews highlights…
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Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s worries over his remaining time in office may have evaporated following an important resolution on the Constitutional Court president’s tenure. Worawit Kangsasitiam can stay on in…
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Although many candidates for the Bangkok Council election are familiar old faces, fresh talent has also surfaced for voters keen to see what the new generation has to offer. Nitikorn…
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Some nine years ago, both popularity and exit polls pointed towards one outcome. The Pheu Thai Party’s city gubernatorial candidate, Pongsapat Pongcharoen, would win comfortably, if not by a landslide,…
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Politicians and observers are seeking a potential “substitute prime minister” in case PM Prayut Chan-o-cha runs into a “political accident”. Talk of an acting PM was triggered this past week…
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The “Prinn effect” has left the coalition Democrat Party at one of the lowest ebbs in its 76-year history and its eighth leader, Jurin Laksanawisit, in political hot water. Multiple…
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Reporters being tumultuously curious about Jurin Laksanavisit’s and the Democrat Party’s future tells a lot about where the country is heading when sexual harassment and domestic violence are concerned. The…
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Unfavorable economic conditions are likely to pose tough challenges for current and future governments in managing the annual budget. The Prayut Chan-o-cha government plans to spend Bt3.185 trillion in fiscal…
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Most expatriates in Bangkok have no right to vote in the May 22 gubernatorial election, yet the outcome affects their everyday lives just as much as those of other residents….
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Accusations of sexual harassment and assault made against a rising star in the coalition Democrats have shocked not only the party’s supporters but Thai society in general. Prinn Panitchpakdi on…
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After 17 years in politics, four-time MP Pareena Kraikupt from the ruling Palang Pracharath Party has been dealt a political death blow by the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political…
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It normally begins with a “public forum” debate on pedestrians’ and ordinary citizens’ problems, but the city gubernatorial election usually ends up producing the outcome of a national political game….
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Since its foundation in November 2018, the ruling Palang Pracharath Party has seen four secretaries-general — virtually one every year. The latest office holder, Santi Promphat, was officially appointed to…
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When Japanese brewing giant Kirin called time on its Myanmar operations last month, the news made little difference to Kyaw Gyi — like many drinkers, he had long boycotted the…
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Ask Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky what he wants more now, worldwide expression of sympathy or what he deems a fraction of western tanks, warplanes and anti-warship systems that he suggests…
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Lawmakers amended the Constitution last year to restore the two-ballot system for the next general election — one ballot to vote for constituency MPs and the other to vote for political parties….
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The coalition Democrat Party has seen several high-profile defections over recent weeks, as politicians prepare for the next general election. In fact, the phenomenon dubbed “Democrat bleeding” by the media…
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A Facebook post by an anti-government activist may have gone largely unnoticed but it asks a highly-relevant question: What does the political rise of Thaksin Shinawatra’s youngest daughter say about…
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Even though Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has not yet said if he will seek another term in office, new political parties have formed with the core purpose of helping him…
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Thamanat Prompow has finally found a new home, but the once most powerful broker in Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s ruling coalition has kept everyone guessing about his new role. Will…
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A political dynasty’s decades-long dominance of politics in Chon Buri province will be threatened by strong challenges at the upcoming Pattaya mayoral election on May 22, analysts say. The Khunpluem…
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Sakoltee Phattiyakul has become the fifth well-known figure to announce he will run in the Bangkok governor election, which will be held on May 22. The first city election since…
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For the first time in 12 years, Bangkokians will vote for a new city council, at an election expected in May. While this local election may be overshadowed by the upcoming…
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The Supreme Administrative Court’s recent decision to retry the Hopewell case may help the government avoid paying a huge sum in compensation which has been dubbed the “price of stupidity”….
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Watana Muangsook has become the latest Thai political heavyweight to be jailed in a high-profile corruption case. On March 4, the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders upheld…
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A young man’s passion for craft beer has taken him to heights most Thais can only dream of – a seat in Parliament where he is now fighting to break…
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Ten draft bills to amend election laws will be deliberated by Parliament this Thursday and Friday (Feb 24-25) – but most are expected to hit obstacles. The bills are designed…
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Former New Economics Party leader Mingkwan Saengsuwan shocked Parliament when he resigned as a party-list MP during the debate to scrutinize the Prayut government last week. Mingkwan explained that he…
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Bangkok governor elections used to be held once every four years until the 2014 coup saw national and local votes suspended. Now, expectations are rising ahead of the first gubernatorial…
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Thaksin Shinawatra is trying to get back on stage, whereas Move Forward is struggling to stay on it. Will Prayut Chan-o-cha dissolve the House of Representatives and/or join a new…
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After campaigning vigorously for reform of the Thai monarchy, activist Chonthicha “Lookkate” Jangrew is now setting her sights on entering politics and becoming an MP. Introduced last Saturday as an…
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The collapse of Parliament meetings due to withdrawal by MPs is becoming more frequent this year, with three House sessions abandoned in January and three more in the first 10…
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Italian President Sergio Mattarella was pulled away from his impending retirement and reelected Saturday to a second seven-year term as the country’s head of state, ending days of political impasse…
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Thai political parties have undergone change, evolution and even transformation in the past year, ahead of a general election expected in the coming year. Parties large and small – as…
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Pro-Beijing candidates dominated Hong Kong’s legislative elections, beating out moderates and independents in the city’s first public poll after Beijing passed a resolution to amend the city’s election laws. Candidates…
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More than five years since its governor was appointed after a coup, Bangkok is now looking forward to its first gubernatorial election in almost nine years. Although no date has…
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