Politics News
Keep up-to-date with the most important Politics News in Thailand, offering comprehensive coverage of government decisions, policy changes, and electoral developments. We closely follow domestic and international political events, providing reliable news analysis, impartial opinions, and thought-provoking commentaries. Stay informed about the political landscape in Thailand, key players, and the impact of their decisions on citizens’ everyday lives.
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The Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) is a great option for digital nomads, remote workers, and freelancers who want to stay in Thailand for a long time. This multiple-entry visa is valid for five years, allowing stays of up to 180...
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Donald Trump faces arrest, but is back on Facebook
This weekend marked some highs and lows for former US President Donald Trump. Just one day after announcing his supposedly-triumphant return to Facebook, Trump claims that he expects to be arrested this coming Tuesday. It would mark the first time in US history that a president was arrested or faced criminal charges while occupying the White House or after leaving…
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New bill to legalise sex work proposed
The Thai government is drafting a bill to legalise sex work to protect sex workers from exploitation. The Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS) has proposed the bill, which will also limit the minimum age to provide or buy the service. According to Narong Jaihan, a lecturer from the Faculty of Law at Thammasat University, sex workers under…
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Russian aircraft takes big fat fuel dump on US drone in newly-released footage
The US Pentagon has released the footage of a Russian aircraft taking a big fat fuel dump on a US surveillance drone. The footage shows the drone’s propeller was also clipped leaving it to come crashing down into the Black Sea. According to Khaosod English, the incident took place in international airspace. The 42-second video shows a Russian Su-27 coming…
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Investigation reveals Narathiwat police protected weapon and drug suspects
An investigation into the southern Narathiwat provincial police department has revealed its police chief and subordinates protected weapon and drug suspects. According to the Bangkok Post, the commander of police, Waesamae Salae, and his subordinates are accused of taking bribes in exchange for helping drug and weapon suspects. The national police chief, Surachate Hakparn announced the news yesterday. Surachate says…
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Woman says Prime Minister’s security assaulted her
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is facing new scrutiny for the alleged misconduct of his security staff. Yesterday, The Thaiger reported on a woman charged with causing chaos in public as the prime minister passed. But now, former Puea Chart Party election candidate, Wanthana Othong, is telling her side of the story. She has filed a complaint against PM Prayut’s security…
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Pheu Thai debt policy a vote winner
The Pheu Thai Party yesterday announced a set of policies aimed at addressing Thailand‘s mounting debt crisis in the run-up to the 2023 General Election. The party believes that these policies will be well received by voters and will help secure their victory in the upcoming polls. The election, expected to be held on May 6 or 7, will see…
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Woman charged after insulting PM Prayut in Ratchaburi
Three police officers charged a middle aged woman for causing chaos in public. The woman, about 50 years old, reportedly insulted Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and blocked the road in front of a community hall in the central province of Ratchaburi 10 minutes before the PM arrived at the scene. PM Prayut visited a community hall in the Baan Pong…
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Man goes viral for resemblance to PM Prayut
Many of us – especially the more homely amongst us – have probably wished they looked like a celebrity. But be careful what you wish for because one man has shot to viral fame for his uncanny resemblance to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. Thai social media users were stunned after seeing images of a vocational education expert online who happens…
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PM Prayut: No more coups, I swear!
Ageing tends to mellow people and, after a certain point, our wild party days are put well behind us. Even rock bands usually turn to ballads after a few decades. And, it seems, military leaders might get less coup-y over the years. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha vowed that his 2014 coup overthrowing the Thai government was his last. PM Prayut…
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Thailand ranks low in freedom, democracy report
The latest report by a US non-profit organization ranked Thailand low in freedom and democracy, contradicting a Democracy Index poll last week. Washington-based Freedom House, an organization that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom, and human rights revealed Thailand has slightly improved but work still needs to be done. The US democracy research group said yesterday that Thailand…
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Tories gang up on Gary Lineker for calling out Nazi policy
Tories are ganging up on sports presenter Gary Lineker after he likening the Conservative Party’s asylum policy as “not dissimilar to that used by (Nazi) Germany in the (19)30s.” Far-right Tory MPs reckon the popular BBC presenter should be sacked. The Match of the Day presenter took to Twitter to remark on a video posted by the Home Secretary, Suella…
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South Korea’s spy agency says Kim Jong-un’s first child is a son
South Korea’s spy agency, the National Intelligence Service (NIS), says Kim Jong-un’s first child is a son. The news comes as Yoo Sang-beom, quoted what the NIS allegedly told him. Yoo is a member of the ruling People Power Party. Yoo says despite the claims by the NIS, he says it doesn’t have detailed evidence of this claim. “We do…
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PM Prayut recovering after hand surgery
Many people have opinions about Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, but one thing almost everyone can agree on: he is great with his hand gestures. Iconic photos have graced The Thaiger and other news sources capturing his broad waves, his hands pressed together in a “wai” position, pointing, awkward “I love you” hand gestures, and perhaps most famously, his shushing gestures.…
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Hit-and-run crash kills Move Forward candidate in northern Thailand
A hit-and-run crash killed a Move Forward candidate in northern Thailand, who was expected to seek a constituency seat in Phrae province. The prospective candidate, Tiranon ‘Lawyer Ken’ Wiantham, was hit by a speeding truck in the province after campaigning on Sunday, February 26, according to witnesses. He died from his injuries yesterday morning. Tiranon was a volunteer lawyer known…
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China ‘walking a delicate path in its dealings with Russia’ or is it?
China is “walking along a very delicate path in its dealings with Russia over the Ukraine” wrote one Western commentator on yesterday’s high-profile meeting between President Vladimir Putin and senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi. The statement appears to be a little naïve, and hypocritical and totally ignores the hypocrisy of the current geopolitical situation surrounding the Russia-Ukraine conflict. But put…
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UN denounces Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, proposes history-making resolution amid war anniversary
The United Nations is denouncing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine amid the one-year anniversary of the war while members reportedly voted on a history-making resolution. According to Reuters, both Ukraine and Russia lobbied countries at the UN for backing ahead of a vote by the General Assembly. The US says the new resolution will “go down in history.” The General Assembly…
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TikTok bans political groups ahead of Thai election
TikTok announced that it will block all accounts linked to political groups in Thailand in the lead-up to and during the country’s upcoming general election. TikTok Thailand’s chief of public policy announced that the company would take measures to maintain a safe community by preventing the spread of fake news and hate speech sparked by political conflicts. TikTok, a short-form video…
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Democrat Party announces anti-cannabis campaign platform
While nearly every street corner in tourist areas of Thailand is selling cannabis legally now (a recent driver in Samui spotted nine shops in a two-block stretch), not everyone is in favour of it, especially politicians. Politicians believe the rushed legalisation and subsequent free-for-all is a strong talking point against the Bhumjaithai Party, who pushed for decriminalisation. Now, the Democrat…
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MP Rangsiman asks police to seize PM Prayut’s party HQ
The Ruam Thai Sang Chart political party headquarters is at the centre of a controversy with the Move Forward Party urging police to take action and seize the Bangkok building. Opponent Rangsiman Rome, a Move Forward Party MP, alleges a senator who owns the building is a money-laundering suspect. MP Rangsiman called on the police chief to follow standard legal…
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Chinese billionaire tech banker Bao Fan is missing
Chinese billionaire tech banker Bao Fan is missing. The disappearance of the China Renaissance renegade chair is not a huge surprise but raises fears of a fresh crackdown on China’s finance industry With billionaire boss either banged up or on the lam, Renaissance, one of the country’s top investment banks has plunged into turmoil. ‘Do not believe the rumours’ Bao…
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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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‘No roses on Valentine’s Day!’ Bangkok election commission advises candidates
It turns out roses on Valentine’s Day aren’t a good idea for everyone. The director of the Election Commission’s Bangkok branch yesterday advised candidates in the upcoming general election on May 7 not to hand out roses on Valentine’s Day. The director, Samran Tanpanit, said that roses handed out on such special occasions could be considered by authorities as a…
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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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New RTN frigate to cost 15 billion baht
The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) wants 15 billion baht (about US $460 million) over the next five years to buy a new frigate. The new RTN frigate is to be built in Thailand. A previous RTN frigate, HTMS Sukhothai, is under 50 metres of water off the coast of Prachuap Khiri Khan. The ship sank on December 18 last year.…
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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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