Politics News
Thailand politics news, government updates, policy changes, and election coverage—stay informed on key political events, leaders, and decisions shaping the nation. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted source for political news in Thailand.
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No confidence debate – Day one. Opposition attacks Anutin over botched cannabis laws.
As expected, today’s censure debate in the Thai parliament has kicked off with the opposition targeting Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. Last week opposition parties revealed their tactics to attack the Bhumjaithai party leader, who brings some 60 votes to the coalition table. Today they launched straight into their attacks on the mercurial deputy PM who has championed the decriminalisation…
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Human Rights Watch calls on Thai protesters on hunger strike to be released
From Human Rights Watch… (Published as provided) Thai authorities should immediately drop the charges and release pro-democracy activists detained for insulting the monarchy (lese majeste), Human Rights Watch said today. Two of the activists, Netiporn “Bung” Sanesangkhom and Nutthanit “Bai Por” Duangmusit, have been on a hunger strike since June 2, 2022, to protest their pretrial detention at Bangkok’s Central…
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Thai PM faces uncertain outcome as censure debate kicks off today
The four day censure debate kicks off today, with the Thai PM and his cabinet ministers, targeted for censure, confident they will emerge unscathed. The actual no confidence motion will be put to the vote on Saturday after four days of drilling from opposition MPs. The weekly Cabinet meeting was moved back to yesterday to accommodate the week of parliamentary…
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Pegasus spyware found on phones of activists in Thailand
A new report has revealed that dozens of Thai democracy activists were targeted by an Israeli spyware programme called Pegasus during the height of intense anti-government protests over the past two years. The joint report, by the Thai NGO iLaw, Digital Reach, and The Citizen Lab, claims that the phones of 30 activists, academics, lawyers, and NGO workers, mostly connected to civil…
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Former MP faces sedition charge against Thai government
A former Pheu Thai Party MP faces criminal charges of sedition after a complaint was made to police saying he is whipping up hate against the PM Prayut Chan-o-cha government for suggesting the political climate in Thailand is similar to that of Sri Lanka and the UK. In a highly-charged week in global politics, anarchy broke out on the streets…
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Thai political parties told to check candidates more carefully
After a Move Forward Party Bangkok city councillor, Arnuparb Tarntong, was accused over sexual misconduct, a number of civil groups have ramped up their demandings for political parties to strengthen the candidate screening process. Arnuparb, a councillor for the Sathorn district, came forward to the police to reject the allegations of sexual harassment made by four young girls, who are…
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UPDATE: Sri Lanka president reportedly plans to fly to Saudi Arabia
UPDATE Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa reportedly plans to fly to Saudi Arabia, after he flies to Singapore. The Associated Press reported the development today, citing an unnamed Maldivian official. An unnamed security official in Colombo told CNN that Gotabaya was flying from Maldives to Singapore, as Sri Lanka’s rage has grown over his refusal to formally resign. Gotabaya is expected to reach…
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State of emergency declared in Sri Lanka as president flees country
A state of emergency was declared in Sri Lanka as President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled for his life on a military jet amid mass protests over the nation’s economic crisis. The 73-year-old president left the country on a jet heading for Maldives with his wife and two security officers. He plans to travel to a third country, yet unnamed, the Sri…
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Man who shot former Japanese PM reveals hateful motivation
The man who shot former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe has told investigators that he thought Abe was linked to a group that he hated. The man, 41 year old Tetsuya Yamagami, shot Abe during a campaign speech in Nara, western Japan, on Friday. Police have not yet named the group that Yamagami says he hates. Japanese media reported, however, that…
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Sri Lanka PM offers to resign amidst enraged protests
Sri Lanka’s PM offered to resign yesterday, even though he only took office in May, 2 months ago. PM Ranil Wickremesinghe’s offer to resign comes after protestors set his home on fire yesterday. Neither the PM nor the president were inside the house when the protestors set the fire. Meanwhile, over 100,000 enraged protestors also stormed the presidential palace yesterday.…
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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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UPDATE: UK PM Boris Johnson’s resignation speech in full
UPDATE: Boris Johnson today resigned as Britain’s prime minister. The 58 year old gave a speech outside of 10 Downing Street at 1pm UK time. Here is the full resignation speech: “It is clearly now the will of the parliamentary Conservative Party that there should be a new leader of that party and therefore a new prime minister, and I’ve…
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‘A poll is just a poll,’ Thai PM Prayut unfazed by opposition’s popularity
Thailand will hold a general election at some point before March 2023, but polls reveal that current PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is not the favourite to win. PM Prayut says he’s not worried about the poll results, because “a poll is just a poll.” Paetongtarn Shinawatra – daughter of ousted ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra and central figure of the Pheu Thai Party…
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Thai MP and brother get 2 years jail for election fraud
Former Democrat Party MP Theptai Seanpong and his younger brother, Manoch Seanpong, were sentenced to a prison term of 2 years and political disqualification for 10 years after being found guilty of election fraud during the provincial administrative organization election in 2013 in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat. The Seanpong family is well-known among residents of Nakhon Si…
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Thaksin predicts the opposition parties will win election in a landslide
Talking on a social media chat program this week, fugitive and former Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra says the opposition parties, or as he described them, the “pro-democracy” parties, will win. And win with an absolute majority. The interview was conducted on ‘Care Talk’ on the Clubhouse app on Tuesday this week. Thaksin was speaking online from his house in Dubai.…
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PM Prayut drives electric car with Swiss ambassador
After completing her term in Thailand, Helene Budliger Artierda, the Swiss ambassador, paid a farewell visit to Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha at Government House. Helene came to visit Prayut in an electric-powered red Mini Cooper, which caught the PM’s attention during their conversation. Just before the Swiss ambassador could head back to the embassy, Prayut asked about the car. He…
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UPDATE: High-profile officer not corrupt says Bangkok residents
Thirty community leaders from the Lat Krabang district met with Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittupunt yesterday to demand justice for a high-profile district officer. The community leaders, led by a former Bangkok Metropolitan Council candidate, Ronnachai Sangkamitkun, visited Chadchart’s office at BMA City Hall near the Giant Swing, and asked him to provide more information about the city’s corruption investigation into…
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Why would Hong Kong chief break electoral law?
The office of Hong Kong’s new chief executive, John Lee, failed to respond to revelations yesterday that he received about US$1.4 million in donations during his election campaign, and broke electoral law. The revelation he received donations is bizarre, to say the least, because he was the only candidate. He ran for the city’s top job against no one! Furthermore,…
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Chadchart points finger at Bangkok’s corrupt high-profile officers
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt informed Thai media yesterday that there are a number of high-profile district officers in the city involved in corruption. The identities of those officers have not been revealed, but leaked media reports allege most of them worked under a former Bangkok governor. According to reports, leading district officers from Latkrabang, Bang Khum Tien, Prawet, Taling Chan,…
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Thai energy chief suggests senators shed suits to save energy
The Deputy PM and Energy Minister, Supattanapong Punmeechaow, has urged the nation’s senators to be energy-saving role models for Thailand. The 62 year old MP has suggested every senator should avoid wearing suits to reduce the use of air-conditioning in Parliament. During today’s senate meeting at the Parliament House senators, Sakon Satjayanit and Suradet Jirathiticharoen raised questions about solutions to…
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Goverment’s rough week: Minister with Covid-19, Parliament flood
This just wasn’t the Thai government’s weekend. Another minister tested positive for Covid-19, while the new Parliament complex has flooded. Again. Minister of Industry Suriya Juangroongruangkit announced today that he has tested positive for Covid-19, just days after Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul announced catching the virus. The Industry Minister is fully vaccinated with AstraZeneca and has received a…
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Thai PM tells nation to buckle up for ‘winds of change’
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday became all metaphorical at the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) Expo 2022, “Shaping Future Industries for Stronger Thailand,” likening the kingdom to a “car” and how the nation needs to face up to “the winds of change.” The 68 year old called for more innovation from his fellow countrymen to meet the needs of evolving technological…
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Chiang Mai protestors send Prayut a message, despite thousands of police
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha received a message after visiting the northern province of Chiang Mai yesterday. A group of protestors known as Kiat Lampang ‘greeted’ Prayut outside the airport. The group had announced on its Facebook page… “Come and welcome and chase out Prayut! At the international airport, Chiang Mai, today will definitely follow and chase him all day.” Prayut later…
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Thai PM makes bizarre ‘go easy on me’ plea to media
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday made a bizarre appeal to the nation’s press to “go easy” and give him a fair crack of the whip. The 68 year old prime minister made the plea after a recent poll put him in fourth position as potential picks to be Thailand’s next prime minister, a long way behind the daughter of former PM…
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South Thailand’s Muslim leaders reject weed, liquor and same-sex partnerships
South Thailand’s Muslim leaders are rejecting the kingdom’s growing liberalism on 3 issues. On Thursday (June 23), Muslim representatives from Yala, Narathiwat, Songkhla, Satun and Pattani provinces, read a statement against 3 draft bills that are currently being debated or yet to be presented to the Thai parliament Those bills were the Cannabis and Hemp Bill, the Progressive Liquor Act,…
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Sewage nightmare continues for Pattaya village after years
A village in East Pattaya has suffered from horrendous sewage problems for more than 7 years, and things aren’t getting any better. Wastewater regularly flows into Daraphan Village 5 from the neighbouring Eakmongkol Village 8, and officials’ minimal efforts have not brought about change. In 2015, officials had agreed to install suitable pipework to carry the wastewater into Pattaya city…
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Thai government mocked over clay stove proposal
Deputy PM and Energy Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow yesterday defended comments the nation should switch to using clay stoves to combat the energy crisis after the government was mocked on social media The Energy Ministry’s official Facebook page on Tuesday uploaded a picture of a stove (Tao Maha Setthee), with a caption saying ‘a charcoal stove is durable, helps save money,…
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New Bangkok governor says student success about concentration, not hair
Bangkok’s new governor is the latest official to say that hair styles aren’t what counts in students’ academic success. Governor Chadchart Sittipunt told a school director in the capital today (Thursday) that student success depends on concentration and responsibility, and he doesn’t believe that hairstyles have any effect on this. Chadchart had been inspecting a school in Bangkok’s Din Daeng…
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Thai PM faces fourth censure motion next month
The next political challenge for Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is next month when a censure motion is put to the lower house by opposition MPs. The debate is scheduled for July 18 – 22 and there is no certainty how the votes will eventually fall at this time. Renegade MPs, new political factions, the PMs falling popularity and a looming…
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Deputy PM’s confidence misplaced ahead of no-confidence vote
Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwon’s confidence that small political parties will support the government in the upcoming no-confidence debate appears to be misplaced. The 76 year old leader of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party believes the targeted cabinet misters have enough support from small political parties to see off the opposition at the debate planned on July 18 and predicted to…
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