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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Sponsored How one hospital visit in Thailand could cost more than your whole trip
Thailand is a favourite spot for travellers who want to enjoy more while spending less. From cheap street food to low-cost hotels and fun attractions, it’s easy to stretch your budget here. But there’s one thing many people don’t think...
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Chuwit stirs up nest of triad rats
The pied piper of Bangkok, Chuwit Kamolvisit, is whistling out another nest of triad rats. King Rat, toots Chuwit, is none other than a certain Chinese national known as Yu Xinqi. Triads show up in Thailand under the protection of Yu’s “Shaanxi Association of Thailand,” nothing more than a trafficking ring that allows the wrong sort of Chinese people to…
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Thai Parliament authorises lese majeste law changes, including the word ‘monarchy’
In a move that could see even more people prosecuted for insulting the Thai monarchy, the far-right Thai Pakdee Party has been given the green light to gather signatures for proposed changes to the lese majeste laws. The changes would expand the definition of those protected by the law to include former Thai kings of the current Chakri Dynasty, princes…
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Taiwan’s turn as military says weather balloon discovery most likely from China
It’s Taiwan’s turn to take on a crashed weather balloon as the military claims it most likely came from China. The country’s military found the balloon on a remote and strategically located island near the Chinese coast. Taiwan’s army says it observed an unknown object falling from the sky over Dongyin island. The object fell with remnants appearing to be…
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Rogue balloons shot down in the US were not Chinese spy devices, says Biden (video)
United States President Joe Biden yesterday announced that he will speak with his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Jinping, over the recent Balloongate incidents, adding he doubted they were spy balloons sent from China. US military shot down three rogue balloons over South Carolina, Alaska, and Lake Huron on the US-Canada border this month claiming they were Chinese surveillance balloons. But…
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North Korean dictator’s daughter makes appearance spurring speculation of leadership role
North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un’s daughter has made an appearance again spurring speculation that she may be in line for a leadership role. Although she has not been named in state media, South Korean intelligence officials believe her name is Ju Ae. She was called this name by Dennis Rodman, the former American basketball player who spent time with…
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Thailand rejects Thai princess Pfizer reaction claim as fake
A controversial claim that Thailand is abolishing its Covid-19 vaccine contract with Pfizer because it caused Thai Princess Bajrakitiyabha to fall into a coma following a booster shot has been dismissed as false. Contradictory statements made by a retired microbiology professor, Sucharit Bhakdi, have been dismissed by the Thai government as “fake news.” Professor Bhakdi claimed that the Thai government…
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Arrest warrant issued to former Pheu Thai chief for failure to attend corruption hearing”
The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office-Holders issued an arrest warrant for former Pheu Thai Party leader Charupong Ruangsuwan for failing to attend the first hearing in his case where he is charged with accepting excessive gifts while serving as Interior Minister from 2012-2013. Charupong was scheduled to appear on December 13, 2022, but did not show up and…
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Move Forward Party vows to take down ‘Three Por’ generals
Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat vows to end the powerful Three Por clique and rewrite Thailand‘s constitution. The 42 year old MP announced at a campaign event in Chiang Mai on Saturday that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, and Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda, were the root cause of Thailand’s problems and they need to…
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Appeal of Petr Donatek heard in Paris
The appeal of Petr Donatek, a 46-year-old Czech man accused of hiring thugs to attack Thai refugees in Paris, has finally opened and closed. In his testimony, Donatek pleaded that he did not plan the attack. He was convicted in absentia for having hired two Czechs – Jakub Hosek and Daniel Vokal – to attack Thai trans activist Aum Neko…
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Thailand’s democracy index 2022 is the most improved in the world
Don’t laugh but, Thailand’s democracy index in 2022 is the most improved in the world, so says the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). It has jumped 17 spots on the global scale, ranking 55th out of 167 countries, at a score of 6.67 out of 10. The EIU is a research and analysis organization that provides economic and political forecasts and…
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Activists pressure opposition to do away with royal defamation law
Thai activists are pressuring the opposition Pheu Thai Party to do away with the royal defamation law if elected to office this year. The requests come at a time when three demonstrators are seriously ill after going on a hunger strike over the royal defamation law. Two of the activists are currently in the hospital and listed in serious condition. Pheu…
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Ukraine MP kicked out of parliament after visiting Thailand in unapproved trip
A lawmaker in Ukraine is now without his job after posting a video of him on an unapproved holiday in Thailand. Mykola Tyshchenko posted a video of him splashing around in the ocean on Facebook while saying that he was on an approved business trip in Asia. According to the Pattaya Mail, he furthered his intentions for some fun in…
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Election billboards for Anutin may be illegal
The Rural Doctor Society raised concerns over the possible violation of election laws by 11,000 roadside billboards featuring Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. The society posted on its Facebook page calling on the Election Commission (EC) to investigate the matter. The billboards are located outside provincial, district, subdistrict and community-level hospitals under the care of the…
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Bail applications denied for detained protestors
Bail applications by ten detainees have been denied because most of them were charged with serious offences during protests last year, ranging from possession of explosives and arson to inciting unrest. Protesters gathered in front of the Criminal Court on Sunday morning, where a man who had been there for several days collapsed and died. According to Thai PBS World,…
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Come home soon, Thaksin, and go to jail – ex-minister
An ex-Democrat minister and legal expert mocked Tuesday’s suggestion by fugitive former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra that he might come home soon. On Thursday, Nipit Intarasombat, an MP for Phatthalung, said Thaksin could fly anywhere in the world but if he touches down in Thailand, he’ll land in jail. Nipit Intarasombat said.. “Khun Thaksin is still a rich man who…
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Thailand Cabinet approves emergency decree to crackdown on Internet fraud
The Thailand Cabinet revealed its commitment to cracking down on Internet fraud by approving a draft emergency decree. Digital Economy and Society (DES) Minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn revealed the Cabinet approved the draft emergency decree to combat Internet fraud, which will allow financial institutions to temporarily halt suspicious transactions for scrutiny. The draft, titled “the prevention and suppression of technology crime,”…
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Royal arsonist goes on hunger strike
The royal arsonist convicted of setting fire to a portrait of King Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida has gone on a hunger strike while awaiting an appeal. Food delivery rider Sitthichok Sethasavet was found guilty of defaming the royal family, arson, destruction of property, and violation of the Emergency Decree. He was sentenced to two years and four months in prison.…
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Thailand to spend US$250 million on private VIP jets
The Cabinet approved an 8.8-billion-baht (US$270 million) budget to procure private VIP jets for members of the Thai royal family, ministers and honoured guests. Proposed by the prime minister’s secretariat and approved on Tuesday, the plan includes the procurement of new aircraft and components and the training of personnel. It’s just the latest of many curious budget decisions we can…
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Fugitive Thaksin reveals his forthcoming return to Thailand, again
Thaksin Shinawatra, former prime minister, fugitive from justice and dynastic overlord, has spoken of his coming return to Thailand, and how it will happen without help from Pheu Thai or the ruling Palang Pracharath Party. The saviour’s coming will be announced by daughter Paetongtarn, herself an aspirant PM. The latest of many declarations on his forthcoming return to Thailand came…
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Turkey will not support Sweden’s NATO bid after Quran burning
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan declared he will not be supporting Sweden’s bid to become a member of NATO after a copy of the Quran was set on fire in Stockholm at the weekend. Far-right Swedish-Danish politician Rasmus Paludan was widely condemned for burning a copy of the Quran on Saturday but Sweden takes a more relaxed view of such things believing…
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You can’t ‘buy anything from the Thai police’ – PM’s Office
The Thai government has denied any involvement in setting up an outrageous TikTok video that informed Chinese tourists that “money can buy anything from the Thai police.” PM’s Office Minister Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana insisted on Sunday he had not told police to provide any VIP services to any TikTok influencer. The pretty young tourist, named only as “Adele,” was given a…
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Russia to join navy exercises with China and South African next month
Russia’s state-owned TASS news agency revealed today that a Russian warship equipped with hypersonic cruise missiles will join in exercises with the navies of China and South Africa next month. This marks the first official confirmation of the involvement of the Russian frigate Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov. The frigate is armed with Zircon missiles, capable of…
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Sex Workers Bill will protect Thailand’s most-exploited
Many thousands of Thais – mostly women – work their whole lives in the sex industry without legal protection. With nothing to shield them, they are exploited both directly and indirectly. The Sex Workers Bill sets out to remedy some of that. Operators use harsh methods to control their workers and ensure the money keeps rolling in. Owners of venues must…
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‘Big Joke’ moves on Chinese passport forgers
The Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn, swooped on Chinese passport forgers hiding at the Bangkok residence of a Nauruan diplomat. Onassis Dame, consul-general to Thailand from the tiny Pacific island nation of Nauru, and his family no longer live there, according to Radio Free Asia. Instead, the residence, which investigators raided on December 22,…
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Deputy PM pledges to increase state welfare benefit to 700 baht
Not to be outdone by Pheu Thai Party (PTP) election promises Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon pledged to increase state welfare scheme benefits if he becomes prime minister in May. The PTP, led by Paetongtarn Shinawatra, vows to increase the daily minimum wage for Thai workers to 600-baht, introduce a 25,000-baht salary for graduates by 2027 and reduce utility…
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Shakhtar president donates £22 million of Mudryk Chelsea transfer fee to Ukraine war effort
The president of Shakhtar Donetsk announced he is to give £22 million (886 million baht) to the Ukrainian war effort after the transfer of Mykhailo Mudryk to Chelsea. Shakhtar chief Rinat Akhmetov sold Mudryk to the London club over the weekend for a record transfer fee in Ukrainian football of £89m. The donation serves as a financial boost for Shakhtar,…
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Shinawatra’s daughter declares intention to be Thailand’s next prime minister
In one of the worst-kept secrets in Thai politics, Paetongtarn Shinawatra announced her intention to be Thailand’s next prime minister over the weekend. The 36 year old declared her interest to run for premier under the Pheu Thai Party (PTP) in May’s General Election. The PTP was founded by Paetongtarn’s father Thaksin and is now in its third incarnation, Thaksin and…
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Soapy king makes PM Prayut’s inauguration slippy
Former soapy king turned amateur super-sleuth Chuwit Kamolvisit tried to gatecrash Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s inauguration into United Thai Nation (UTN) Party yesterday. PM Prayut officially joined the UTN Party yesterday where he gave an impassioned speech on how he values the democratisation process, seemingly forgetting that he toppled the democratic process when seizing power in a 2014 army coup.…
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Sign of corruption? Bangkok station’s US$1-million name change
When His Majesty the King renamed Bang Sue Grand Station, “Krung Thep Abhiwat Central Terminal,” in September, some quiet questions were asked if the Bangkok station’s US$1-million name change was really necessary. Yesterday, Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob has been obliged to assure a puzzled public that an investigation into the 33 million baht (US$1 million) cost of the new nameplate…
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‘Buffalo’ Suttipong’s trash-talk tarnishes Phuket’s reputation
The trash-talk of Interior Ministry Permanent Secretary Suttipong Juljarern tarnishes Phuket’s reputation, according to the president of the Phuket Lawyers Association. As the highest-ranking civil servant at the Interior Ministry, Suttipong can’t seem to keep his foot out of his mouth or his name out of the headlines. The latest of the senior servant’s woes comes as people in Phuket…
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