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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US visa applicants must now set social media accounts to public
The United States has expanded screening requirements for the US visa applicants, requiring individuals in multiple non-immigrant visa categories to set their social media accounts to public to support vetting under US law. The update, announced by the US Department of State and shared by the US Embassy in Bangkok on April 20, applies to applicants across a wide range…
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Thailand outlines military capability in 2027 budget
Military capability and national sovereignty will be central to the Thailand defence budget 2027, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said today, April 20, as the government unveiled a 3.788 trillion baht spending plan amid mounting global uncertainty. Addressing a budget policy seminar at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani in Nonthaburi, Anutin pointed to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East as evidence…
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Rak Chart Party submits UNESCO letter urging tighter review
Representatives of the Rak Chart Party travelled to Paris, France, to submit a letter to UNESCO headquarters today, April 12, expressing appreciation for its recognition of Thai cultural heritage while also calling for careful evaluation of world heritage registrations. The delegation, led by party director Chanin Pinthong and spokesperson Chaiporn Jirawinijnan, said the visit aimed to thank UNESCO for acknowledging…
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Oil firms deny plans to sue government over diesel price controls
Two oil refineries denied legal action against the Thai government after the Ministry of Energy ordered a reduction in the diesel refining fee to lower retail prices during the ongoing energy crisis. Energy Minister Akanat Promphan announced on April 7 that the refining margin for diesel types B7 and B20 would be cut by 2 baht. He added that retail…
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Thailand welcomes US-Iran ceasefire, urges serious talks
Thailand has welcomed a reported two-week ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, expressing hope that it will lead to lasting peace in the Middle East, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said yesterday, April 8. The minister said the conflict and violence had caused widespread damage in Iran and across the region, with the impact…
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Three missing Mayuree Naree crew members confirmed dead
Three crew members of the Mayuree Naree vessel have been confirmed dead following an attack by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, Thailand’s foreign minister said yesterday, April 8. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow stated that rescue teams from Iran and Oman were able to enter the ship and confirmed the deaths of the three crew…
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Thailand diesel price drops 2.14 baht from April 9
Thailand will cut diesel price by 2.14 baht per litre from tomorrow, April 9, marking a historic first-time reduction in fuel prices. Energy Minister Akanat Promphan, who also chairs the Fuel Fund Management Committee, said refinery prices for both B7 and B20 diesel would be reduced by 2 baht from tomorrow. The move will lower retail prices at petrol stations nationwide…
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Bangchak oil tanker reaches Thailand after Hormuz passage
Bangchak said its oil tanker MT.POLA arrived safely in Thailand at Si Racha district, Chon Buri, today, April 8, after passing through the Strait of Hormuz and delivering crude oil to the company’s refinery. The voyage followed diplomatic coordination involving Thailand, Iran and Oman, which reportedly allowed Thai cargo vessels to use the route on March 23 to 24. The…
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DSI investigates into 57 million litres of fuel missing in Surat Thani
Thailand’s Justice Ministry launched a probe into suspected fuel stockpiling during the energy crisis and found that 57 million litres of fuel went missing during tanker deliveries to Surat Thani. The Justice Ministry, Royal Thai Police and provincial administrative offices nationwide inspected fuel storage following concerns over shortages and rising prices. The operation aimed to prevent major energy companies from…
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Anutin unveils budget cuts, fuel sale limit amid energy crisis
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced a package of Thailand energy crisis measures after a Cabinet meeting yesterday, April 6, including budget cuts to fund public support and a plan to limit fuel sales. Anutin and the newly appointed Cabinet issued the announcement after discussing measures to address and prevent fuel shortages. He said conflict in the Middle East continued to…
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MP pushes back against Clean Air Bill as Thais are ‘breathing dust to death’
Thai netizens, today, April 3, slammed objections to the Clean Air Bill, which were raised in Parliament, as people in North Thailand continued to face severe PM2.5 pollution. The issue stemmed from remarks made by Bhumjaithai Party list MP Supachai Jaisamut during a House of Representatives meeting on April 1, when he raised concerns about the draft Clean Air Bill,…
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PM Anutin personal data allegedly leaked and used on SSO site
Personal data of the Prime Minister (PM) Anutin Charnvirakul was allegedly leaked and then used to register for Thailand’s Social Security Office (SSO), with claims that weak security on the SSO website also allowed members of the public to access his data. Software and blockchain technology specialist and the CEO of DomeCloud, Thanarat Kuawattanaphan, raised the issue on his Facebook account…
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Transport boss announces boycott of PT petrol station
A Thai transport company owner announced a boycott of PT petrol stations, saying comments made by Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, a shareholder in the company, amounted to shifting the burden onto the public. K.Laopilao company owner, 39 year old Daechawat, posted the instruction on Facebook, telling staff to stop refuelling at PT stations and to avoid using any services at…
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Justice Ministry names 10 inmates for release including ex-PM Thaksin
The Ministry of Justice confirmed that former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is among 10 prisoners set to be released on parole, with the release schedule expected to be finalised within the next two months. Thaksin was sentenced to eight years in prison for several legal offences linked to his time in office. His prison term was later reduced to…
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Search finds no trace of missing Thai crew after Mayuree Naree attack
Three Thai crew members from the Mayuree Naree cargo ship remain missing after the ship attack in the Strait of Hormuz on March 11, with the vessel’s operator saying an extensive search found no trace of them. The Mayuree Naree was attacked by the Iranian military while departing the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and travelling to India. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary…
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Thai and foreign residents protest at US Consulate in Chiang Mai
Yesterday, March 28, about 50 Thai and foreign residents gathered outside the US Consulate General in Chiang Mai to protest the United States’ war with Iran and to call for an end to the conflict. The group, calling itself CNX4PEACE, held placards criticising the United States’ military action and urging peace. A representative of the demonstrators read a statement calling…
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Study trip or tourism? Thai govt spending on overseas trips tops 2.5bn baht
The Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand (ACT) says Thai government state agencies spent at least 2.5 billion baht on overseas study trips over the past 10 years, money it says could have funded more than 100 million school lunches. Secretary-General of ACT, Mana Nimitmongkol, raised the issue in a Facebook post titled Stop overseas study trips disguised as tourism. He said…
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Senator proposes law requiring public to stand during royal anthem
During a March 24 Senate session, a senator proposed amending the law to require people to stand in respect when the royal anthem is played, arguing that the Thai national anthem is protected by law, while the royal anthem is not. The proposal was raised by Senator Alongkot Worakee, who updated the chamber on the work of a special committee…
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Minister to drop lawsuit over berry picker bribery claims
A former labour minister said he will withdraw defamation lawsuits filed against a local news editor over reporting linked to allegations of bribery connected to Thai berry pickers sent to work in Finland and Sweden. The current Natural Resources and Environment Minister, Suchart Chomklin, who previously served as labour minister, said he would withdraw the cases against The Isaan Record…
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Thai vessel passes Strait of Hormuz safely, second ship also permitted
A Thai-flagged Bangchak vessel has passed through the Strait of Hormuz safely amid unrest in the area, according to updates yesterday, March 24, from the Iranian Embassy in Bangkok and Bangchak Corporation Plc. A second Thai ship was also reportedly cleared to transit the strait. In a Facebook post on the “IR Iran Embassy in Bangkok Thailand” page, the Embassy…
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US issues alert urging Americans to exercise increased caution
The US Department of State issued a worldwide security alert advising US citizens to exercise increased caution, citing an escalating US-Israel-Iran war. In the alert issued yesterday, March 22, the department urged US citizens, particularly those in Middle Eastern countries, to take extra precautions and follow security guidance provided by the nearest US embassy or consulate. The department said US diplomatic…
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Parliament elects Anutin as Thailand’s 32nd Prime Minister
Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul was elected Thailand’s 32nd Prime Minister (PM) during a Parliamentary vote held today, March 19. Anutin previously served as PM after former PM Partongtar Shinawatra was removed from office over a leaked phone conversation with Hun Sen. He later announced the dissolution of Parliament on December 11 last year, leading to the General Election on…
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Iran US negotiations disputed as Trump says Tehran wants a deal but terms are not set
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said Tehran sees no reason to negotiate with the United States, rejecting President Donald Trump’s claim that Iran is seeking a deal to end the war as the conflict enters its third week. In an interview aired Sunday on CBS’s Face the Nation, Araghchi said Iran was “stable and strong enough” and was “only…
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Pro-Palestinian protest planned in Bangkok today, police on high alert
Bangkok police are preparing for the International Quds Day gathering at about 2pm today, March 13, increasing security planning and surveillance measures around diplomatic premises and other sensitive venues, amid the heightened Middle East tensions. The Metropolitan Police Bureau has been reviewing the situation with other security agencies and adjusting its readiness accordingly. Pol. Lt. Gen. Sayam Boonsom, the bureau…
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Israel’s ambassador says Thais should blame Iran for oil prices
Israel’s ambassador to Thailand said yesterday, March 10, during a media briefing on the Iran-Israel war that Thais feeling the effects of higher fuel costs should direct their frustration at Iran, citing what she described as its deliberate disruption of energy market stability. Speaking to reporters, Dr Alona Fisher-Kamm, Israel’s ambassador to Thailand, argued that Iran was intentionally undermining stability…
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Foreign minister welcomes first group of Thai evacuees from Iran
Thailand’s foreign minister met the first group of Thai nationals evacuated from Iran at Suvarnabhumi International Airport yesterday, March 9, as the government continued assisting citizens affected by the situation in the Middle East and prepared further evacuations. Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow welcomed the group on arrival at Suvarnabhumi Airport, where 29 Thai nationals landed at 3.02pm on Turkish Airlines…
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First group of 62 Thai nationals arrives safely in Turkey from Iran
A group of 62 Thai nationals has crossed from Iran into Turkey as part of a Royal Thai Government evacuation effort linked to an ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with onward travel to Thailand planned over March 8 and today, March 9. Officials at the Kapıköy border checkpoint received the first group on the evening of March 7 at…
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Thailand weighs Turkey transit, Egypt charter for Iran evacuation
Thailand is preparing to evacuate Thai nationals from Iran as fighting spreads across parts of the Middle East, with Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow outlining the government’s response yesterday, March 3. Thai embassies across the region are reportedly working with host governments to set up safe areas for Thai nationals as officials keep a close watch on the situation. Sihasak said…
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How the US-Israel war on Iran affects your fuel costs in Thailand
Thailand may face sharp increases in fuel prices as escalating tensions between the US, Israel, and Iran push global oil markets into volatile territory. According to Energy Ministry sources, diesel prices could break the US$100 per barrel mark, and with critical shipping routes under threat, Thai authorities are monitoring stockpiles and supply chains while warning that retail prices remain tied…
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Election Commission targets people over ballot image sharing and decoding
Election Commission of Thailand (ECT) filed a complaint against a group accused of sharing images of barcodes and QR codes on ballot papers online and attempting to decode them, saying the activity was intended to discredit the commission. The ECT ballot barcode and QR code issue emerged during vote counting in the latest General Election. Members of the public gathered…
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