Thailand Election News
Thailand election news, campaign updates, candidate profiles, and policy analysis—stay informed on regional and national elections with real-time coverage. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted source for election news in Thailand
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‘Big Joke’ goes back to school to hunt visa crooks
As Big Joke leads his investigation into Chinese gangs operating in Bangkok, the probe is expanding so fast that it is only a matter of time before the cops are investigating every business in the nation’s capital. There are no untouchables as criminal Chinese businesses appear to have pervaded almost every corner of Thai life from the scum floating at…
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Pheu Thai Party under fire as Tuhao-Shinawatra connection exposed
Opposition Pheu Thai Party is under fire after police found that many houses connected to suspected Chinese gangster Chaiyanat “Tuhao” Kornchayanant were built by a company owned by the Shinawatra family. The Pheu Thai Party is the third incarnation of the party founded by former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2007. On Wednesday, the Royal Thai Police raided 11 locations…
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Thailand’s Public Health Minister vows to keep weed legal if he stays in office
Thailand’s Public Health Minister is vowing to keep weed free and legal so long as he stays in office. Anutin Charnvirakul told advocates for the plant that the possibility of cannabis being re-criminalised would not be possible if he is voted into office again. Anutin has been credited with starting the weed revolution in Thailand, and he continues to support…
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Former US President Donald Trump announces 2024 White House bid
Former US President Donald Trump has officially announced his bid for the 2024 White House after teasing fans for months. Trump is defying calls from GOP key party leaders and donors after a huge loss in last week’s midterm elections. According to The Straits Times, Trump ploughed forward filing federal paperwork to declare his 2024 run, just 23 minutes before…
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Is Prayut quiet due to humbleness or unpopularity?
Is it his humbleness and humility, and his dedication to helping the people of Thailand? Or perhaps it’s because polls show that he is trailing other candidates in next year’s prime minister race. Either way, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has spent the month deflecting interviews and political questions. In recent weeks he’s managed to duck out of most questions from the…
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Xi Jinping sets record-breaking precedent with third term reappointment as general secretary
China’s president Xi Jinping is breaking the record of term limits by recently being confirmed as the leader of the Chinese Communist Party for a third term. According to The Guardian, Xi was unveiled as general secretary of the party, tilting the country back toward a one-man rule after decades of sharing power among the elite. The long-speculated reappointment signalled…
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Southern Thais prefer PM Prayut over other candidates in recent poll
A new poll is revealing that southern Thais prefer Prayut Chan-o-cha for the post of prime minister over other politicians. The National Institute of Development Administration polled on October 17-20, on 2,001 eligible voters. The voters were from all levels of education, occupations and incomes, and were aged 18 and over. According to Bangkok Post, the poll was summarised as…
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The long goodbye – Which way now for PM Prayut?
No matter which side you are on, yesterday’s Constitutional Court ruling gives us some measure of much-needed clarity. After weeks of debate and rumour, we now know that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s term started on April 6, 2017, the date the present charter came into force. His previous leadership as part of the junta government does not count. What we…
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Activists plan protests across Bangkok
Thai authorities have ramped up security in the capital ahead of expected protests when the Constitutional Court releases its decision on the future of suspended Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha later today. The court will rule on whether General Prayut’s constitutionally stipulated eight-year term is up. General Prayut came to power following a 2014 coup. Anti-government activists will hold rallies in…
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POLL: Top 2 picks for prime minister are “nobody” and Ex-PM’s daughter
A new NIDA poll shows the daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is leading the pack of hopefuls to replace suspended PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. Paetongtarn “Ung Ing” Shinawatra is a member of the leading Pheu Thai Party and is currently the second choice for prime minister, just behind “nobody is suitable.” The poll was conducted by the National Institute…
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Campaigns for the next election can officially begin Sep 24
Election season is upon us! On September 24, the current term for the House of Representatives will have exactly 180 days left which means the campaigning can officially begin for the next general election. The Election Commission made the announcement yesterday, opening the door for political parties and hopeful candidates to begin their push to be elected. The rules are…
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2 female Thai party leaders emerge as strong PM candidates
While King Charles III effortlessly ascended to the throne upon the death of England’s Queen Elizabeth II this week, the path to the prime ministership in Thailand will be a bit more protracted and messy. Two women have emerged as top candidates for Prime Minister, with Thai Sang Thai Party’s Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan so far polling above Pheu Thai Party…
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Court may pump brakes on PM’s tenure ruling
After a key document leaked to the public, Thailand’s Constitutional Court may be pumping the brakes on the prime minister’s tenure ruling. The special meeting today had some hoping that the speed of the ruling would change, but the secretary-general of the Office of the Constitutional Court, Chaowana Traimas, dispelled those rumours. Instead, he says the press briefing was called…
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2nd of 3 statements to court may support PM Prayut until 2025
The ongoing saga continues of whether suspended Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will be able to extend his tenure more than the eight years he has already served, with speculation rife about a court document suggesting his constitutional eight years ends in 2025. The Constitutional Court is currently considering a pitch by Prayut himself as well as documents from two legal…
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Constitutional Court may make prime minister decision Thursday
The decision on Prayut Chan-o-cha’s future and the prime ministership may be decided this week as the Constitutional Court scheduled a special meeting on Thursday to discuss it. Last Thursday his legal team submitted a 30-page document that lays out his defence against all the arguments regarding his term limits to the Constitutional Court. The court will review this document,…
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Hopefuls assess and prepare to run for prime minister
While the Constitutional Court is mulling over when Prayut Chan-o-cha’s term as prime minister officially ends, with the suspended PM submitting his defence on Thursday, several hopefuls eyeing the premiership have assessed their chances and taken steps in preparation. The Sang Anakhot Thai Party (translating to “Building Thailand’s Future”) intends to nominate former Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak and has…
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Massive poll finds over 93% want PM Prayut to leave office now
With just one day before PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s premiership expires, the Constitutional Court still has not ruled if he can continue as Thailand’s leader or not, but the court of public opinion has spoken. A new phone survey from a group of universities, TV stations, and online media found that a whopping 93.17% of people do not want PM Prayut…
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Thai PM promises to speed up projects if he’s re-elected
The unofficial election campaign continues as Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha promises to accelerate existing projects if re-elected. He said that, if re-elected as prime minister after the next election he will “speed up projects.” The Thai PM has never stood for election as an MP in Thailand and won a vote for the prime ministership in a joint sitting in…
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Governor to drain the swamp with Bangkok’s criminal fraternity
Chadchart Sittipunt made over 200 pledges prior to his landslide election victory last Sunday with the economy, environment, and health, high on his list of priorities. And when the Bangkok governor-elect vowed to clean up the metropolis, he wasn’t kidding. The 56 year old’s four-year term as governor began in earnest this week and, his agreement to use criminals to…
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Bangkok governor-elect calls for calm and unity to get through the political storm
Chadchart Sittipunt has called for the citizens of Bangkok to put their differences to one side and come together in unity. The Bangkok governor-elect celebrated his 56th birthday yesterday with twin brother, Dr Chanchai Sittipunt, an associate professor and dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Chulalongkorn University, but still made time to send out a positive message amid squabbling…
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Former Thai PM Abhisit Vejjajiva under fire from Pheu Thai members
Former Thai PM Abhisit Vejjajiva is being criticised by Pheu Thai representatives after claiming in an interview that the party wants to win the next election by a landslide just to bring their former leader, Thaksin Shinawatra back to Thailand. Abhisit, former leader of the Democrats, doesn’t have any problems with Pheu Thai Party gaining power in a fair election…
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A solution for infected people to vote during Bangkok’s governor election
Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health insists that the voice of even Covid-19 infected people won’t go unnoticed. The ministry says they’ve got a solution for infected residents to vote for their new Bangkok governor. The 11th election for the governorship of Bangkok will be held on May 22. It will take place 9 years after the last Governor election in…
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Former Thai PM denies his daughter will run for the top job
On Clubhouse this week, a favourite platform for former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, Thailand’s former elected leader denied rumours that his youngest daughter, Paetongtarn, will run in the next Thailand election as the nominated PM candidate for the Pheu Thai Party. Instead, he wants to see her in the party working on the marketing and strategic side of things. On April…
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Mixed feelings on new Move Forward guburnatorial candidate
Thailand’s Move Forward Party has selected a candidate for Bangkok’s gubernatorial election, the party’s spokesperson Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn. Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat was proud to introduce Wiroj, saying no other candidate had “the party DNA” like him. Many of the party’s supporters agree with Pita, but some observers say Move Forward failed to find a more experienced, qualified candidate. One programme…
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Political parties begin to name their nominees for prime minister
Names are beginning to be thrown around as each political party plans their nomination for the next prime minister of Thailand. The Palang Pracharath Party currently ruling have chosen to nominate current prime minister PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, who does not belong to a political party, instead of their own party leader, though rumours say they are preparing one or two…
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Education minister’s wife plans to run for governor of Bangkok
The education minister of Thailand’s wife is planning to run for the governor of Bangkok when the city poll is called, in a move that puts her in direct competition with others for the backing of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party. Nataphol Teepsuwan confirmed on Friday that his wife Taya Teepsuwan, a former core member of the now-defunct Peoples’ Democratic…
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Voting starts in Thailand’s provinces, excluding Bangkok, alcohol ban in place until 6pm
Thailand goes to the polls today for the first time in 6 years for provincial elections. The last time was in 2014, just before the latest military coup seized power from the Yingluck Shinawatra government in May 2014. An election for Thailand’s central government was held in March 2019. The elections taking place today are for the provincial administrative organisation chiefs…
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US federal judge shoots down President Trump’s attempt to block Pennsylvania vote certification
A US federal judge has shot down US President Trump’s campaign team’s attempt to block the certification of votes in the state of Pennsylvania. The judge issued the order that also refuted claims of widespread irregularities for mail-in ballots. The news comes after President Trump has refused to concede the election despite other leaders worldwide already recognising Joe Biden, a…
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Thanathorn disqualified as Member of Parliament – Thai Constitutional Court
Leader of the Future Forward Party, 41 year old Thanathorn Jungroongruangkit, has been disqualified as a Member of Parliament following the handing down of a guilty verdict by the Thai Constitutional Court today. The Court’s findings say Thanathorn was still holding shares in a media company when he registered to run in the March 24 national election. Thanathorn presented evidence…
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School funding challenge for bilingual curriculum
The secretary-general of the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC), Amnat Wichayanuwat, says plans to introduce a bilingual school curriculum at all grade levels have thrown up an obstacle for meeting funding requirements. The bilingual curriculum plans were announced by the Education Minister last week in an effort to improve English proficiency among the Thai population. It’s hoped to…
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