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 Is private health insurance in Thailand worth it? Real costs vs risks explained
Thailand has a strong healthcare system with both public and private options. Public hospitals offer affordable care, but many people, including expats, choose private health insurance for faster service, modern facilities, and more treatment choices. To decide if private health...
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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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EU ready to conclude free-trade agreement with Thailand
The European Union is ready to open free-trade agreement (FTA) talks with Thailand again after an eight-year political impasse. Thailand’s Commerce Minister, Jurin Laksanawisit, will head to Brussels tomorrow for a two-day business trip to accelerate talks on an FTA with the EU. Jurin states that a Thai-EU FTA is a highly sought-after deal by the private sector, but it remains…
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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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‘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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Kiwi PM Jacinda Arden to quit next month (video)
An emotional Jacinda Ardern announced she “has nothing left in the tank” and is standing down as New Zealand’s Prime Minister. The 42 year old revealed she will resign next month and will not take part in this year’s General Elections. A tearful Ardern told a press pack in the coastal city of Napier yesterday that Tuesday, February 7 will…
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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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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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Global food prices, hunger hit record highs
Global food prices for grain and vegetable oil were the highest on record last year, even after falling for nine months in a row, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said, as Russia’s war in Ukraine, drought and other factors take the blame for inflation and global hunger. The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in food prices, dipped…
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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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‘Calm down, PM!’ – supreme patriarch sparks Prayut rant
Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha is hardly known for keeping his head when all about him are losing theirs. Thailand is quite accustomed to stories of Prayut losing his cool in public, but the PM’s avuncular facade often cracks open, revealing the volatile – let’s say “passionate” – leader beneath. When Prayut went to receive a blessing from supreme patriarch…
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Deputy PM’s cunning plan to remain in power? There isn’t one
Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon has a cunning plan to remain in power. The plan is so cunning that there is no plan. No, it’s not an episode of Blackadder. Deputy PM Prawit reckons the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) will remain in office after the May 7 election this year without having to woo the electorate. The Pheu Thai Party was out…
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Parliament president predicts dissolution of House of Representatives
The Thai Parliament president predicts the House of Representatives will be dissolved before the MPs’ four-year term ends on March 23. Parliament president Chuan Leekpai said last night that the dissolution could take place either during or after the current ordinary session but before the MPs’ time in office expires. The current parliament session lasts until February 28. If the…
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Palestine welcomes UN vote on Israel’s illegal occupation
Palestinian leaders last night welcomed a United Nations General Assembly vote insisting on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to answer the legal consequences of Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian territories. The General Assembly voted 87 to 26 with 53 abstentions on the resolution, reported Aljazeera. A number of Western nations were split on the vote while the Islamic world…
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Varawut takes National Parks corruption flack
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa said yesterday that he would ensure justice is done in the national parks corruption investigation that has threatened to consume his department. Varawut apologised and accepted responsibility for the alleged corruption committed by Rutchada Suriyakul Na Ayutya, saying the investigating committee would speak to all directors and related personnel, without any interference from…
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Govt official allegedly caught red-handed accepting bribes
Police today allegedly caught a government official red-handed accepting a bribe when they swooped to arrest the man at his Bangkok office. Officers raiding the premises also confiscated 5 million baht from the official’s office, reported Bangkok Post. Counter Corruption Division (CCD) commander Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat Pankaew, and his team, arrested Rutchada Suriyakul Na Ayutya, the head of the…
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Prayut to run for new party as PM
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is to run as the PM candidate for a new party in the next election. Prayut will be after another term under the banner of the Ruam Thai Sang Chart (RTSC) party, a move that could divide the pro-military and conservative bases in the next election. Prayut insisted that he has a close bond with the…
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Thai PM’s secretary-general appointment may be questioned in debate over political ethics
Thailand’s PM Prayut Chan-o-cha may be grilled in a debate over ethics concerning his secretary-general’s appointment. The opposition is reportedly planning to hold a general debate shortly after the New Year as it focuses on what it describes as the unethical appointment of the new secretary-general. Pheu Thai Party leader, Cholnan Srikaew, told the Bangkok Post, that the opposition is…
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Zelenskiy’s US visit gives Ukrainian Americans hope
President Zelenskiy’s visit to the US is giving Ukrainian Americans hope that the US will assist Ukraine further against the Russian invasion. Dozens of pro-Ukrainian activists gathered near the White House to support Zelenskiy as he made his first trip abroad since the war started. The group called “US Ukrainian Activists” then met at the US Capitol to hear Zelenskiy’s…
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Anti-government protest leader under fire over expensive handbag
Anti-government protest leader Panusaya “Rung” is under fire for her alleged flaunting of a 200,000 baht handbag. Rung was called out by senator Jetn Sirathranont as he asked the National Security Council to look into her finances after a photo of her with the handbag circulated on Facebook and on other social media outlets. According to the Bangkok Post, Jetn…
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No more university education for women under Taliban-ruled Afghanistan
The Taliban is continuing its relentless campaign to chip away at women’s rights in Afghanistan. Yesterday, the terror group banned women from universities. Afghanistan’s Ministry of Higher Education said the move was to go into effect immediately. Afghan women are now mourning the loss of education, which was a lifeline for many under Afghanistan’s deeply patriarchal society. One university student…
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Ukraine’s Zelenskiy requests weapons systems from Western leaders
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy is asking Western leaders for a wide range of weapons systems to assist the country in its fight against Russia’s invasion. According to Thai PBS World, he asked leaders of countries in the Joint Expeditionary Force, including British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, to meet in Latvia to discuss his request for assistance. “I ask you to…
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Superpowers fight for supercomputer supremacy
Sanctions designed to cripple China’s chipmakers are the US weapon of choice, as skirmishes begin in the superpowers’ fight for supercomputer supremacy. The current most-favoured US target for fear, hatred and sanctions – China’s semiconductor industry – has good reason to worry about the world’s policeman, now turned world’s store detective. The US will do almost anything to keep its…
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Thailand’s submarine engine talks stall again
Thailand’s submarine engine talks have stalled again. The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) has still not decided on how to power an S26T Yuan-class submarine being assembled in China. The choice remains the same – a Chinese-made engine or an unobtainable German-made one. Germany’s embargo on sales of military equipment, which it initiated in the wake of WWII, prevented the sale…
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Major Qatar corruption scandal allegedly involving Greek MEP
There’s been a major corruption scandal allegedly involving a Greek member of the European Parliament (MEP). MEP Eva Kaili has been stripped of her role as one of the EP’s 14 vice presidents. Belgian prosecutors announced on Sunday that they had charged four people with corruption, money laundering and participation in a criminal organisation. The charges are part of an…
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FTI threatens to raise prices if govt hikes energy costs
It appears tourism won’t be the only thing on the rise in Thailand next year. Thai industries appear to be holding the government to account, threatening they will hike prices if the price of electricity is raised in the new year. Entrepreneurs under the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) warned it will increase product prices by 5-12% if the government…
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Hawaii’s last princess Abigail Kawānanakoa passes away at 96 years old
Hawaii’s last princess has reportedly passed away at the age of 96 years old. Princess Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kawānanakoa died on Sunday in her Nu’uanu home with her wife, Veronica Gail Kawānanakoa by her side. The Iolani Palace released the news to the public yesterday. The palace is America’s only residence where the Hawaiian monarchy dwelled but now serves mostly…
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Who is Khru Yun, ‘angel of child protection,’ accused of abuse?
For the last four decades, Montri “Khru Yun” Sintawichai has been known as the “angel of child protection” – but that changed recently. Now, he is facing charges of child abuse, child labour and even human trafficking. Montri denies all the allegations made against him. He said… “I’m hurt, but I’m not going to give up social work.” Thaipbsworld tells…
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