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 FBS celebrates 16 years with an adventurous Birthday Quest
Leading global broker FBS is marking its 16th anniversary with a special campaign — FBS Birthday Quest. Over the past 16 years, FBS has been on an incredible journey alongside its clients. Now, as a way to give back, the...
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West Papua rebels shoot and kill eight technicians
Gunmen in a mountainous district of Indonesia’s Papua shot and killed eight technicians at a tower owned by a telecoms company on Wednesday. Today, West Papua’s main rebel militia claimed responsibility. One technician had managed to escape and tell authorities about the attack. Police began to track down the attackers, when the West Papua National Liberation Army took responsibility. The…
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Bangkok criminal court won’t let activist study on scholarship in Germany
A student activist facing lèse majesté charges won’t be allowed to study in Germany with a scholarship for a post-graduate program. Ravisara, nicknamed Dear, was charged when she read a statement in German in front of the German Embassy in Bangkok in 2020. When Dear applied to leave the country for a prestigious scholarship program, The Bangkok South Criminal Court…
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Bangkok student president dismissed for controversial video chat
The president of Chulalongkorn Univesity’s student council was dismissed from his position after he presented a controversial video at a student orientation in 2021. The video featured talks by two prominent protest leaders, nicknamed Penguin and Rung, who are known critics of Thailand’s monarchy. In his talk, Penguin raised his middle finger, and encouraged students to do the same. Thai…
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Cabinet approves the use of chemical castration on repeat sex offenders
The Thai Cabinet approved a bill aimed at preventing repeated sexual offense cases, which includes chemically castrating sexual predators, if at least two medical professionals agree with the procedure and the offender gives consent. MP and spokesperson from the Palang Pracharath Party, Pacharin Sumsiripon, and Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin had proposed the so-called “Sex Act” to prevent repeated sexual offense…
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Thai officials say to “look out for” illegal migrant workers amidst Covid-19 surge
This morning, a government spokesman said people in border provinces have been told to “look out for” illegal migrant workers as governors prepare for an increase in Covid-19 infections. He also said people should report “suspicious looking strangers” to authorities. He said police and labour officials have been told to check and make sure factories aren’t hiring illegal migrants, and…
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Move Forward MP accuses government of hiding spread of African Swine Fever
A Move Forward MP accused the government of covering up the spread of African Swine Fever in a parliamentary debate yesterday. The MP, Padipat Suntiphada, said ASF spread across the country in 2020 as a direct result of the government covering it up when it first hit in 2019. When the disease was first discovered, 300,000 pigs died either from…
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Thailand ranks 72 in Democracy Index 2021
The Economist Intelligence Unit has officially deemed Thailand a “flawed democracy” out of four categories: full democracies, flawed democracies, hybrid regimes, and authoritarian regimes. It ranked Thailand 72 out of 167 countries in its “Democracy Index 2021,” which ranks countries for how democratic they are. The EIU says democracy has declined across the globe since 2020. That year, 49.4% of…
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Activist ousted from protest movement amid sexual misconduct allegations
A student activist has been stripped of his membership of the Dome Revolution Party, a movement he led, over sexual misconduct allegations. Sirichai Nathuang, a 21-year-old Thammasat University student, has also lost his seat on the Thammasat University Student Council, according to a Bangkok Post report. Sirichai has been come in for fierce criticism on Twitter after a fellow student…
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Truck drivers threaten to camp in front of Energy Ministry because of diesel price
Angry truck drivers say they will protest and camp out in front of if Thailand’s energy ministry if the minister doesn’t lower diesel prices in seven days. The chairman of the Land Transport Federation of Thailand (LTFT) also said the federation would join protests with other groups hurt by Thailand’s rising cost of living, like farmers affected by low crop…
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Ex-deputy attorney general from Red Bull case applies join NACC
The controversial ex-deputy attorney who chose not to indict the Red Bull heir who killed a policeman in a hit-and-run accident in 2012 applied for a seat on Thailand’s National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) on Thursday. The former attorney general, Nate Naksuk, told Thai PBS in an interview that he wants to prove his innocence, and spend the rest of his…
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Thai PM – “I will stay on as long as the law allows”
“I will stay on as long as the law allows. I am bound by the law, and cannot do anything at will.” Words from Thailand’s PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday, vowing that he will only stay on in the top job whilst the law allows him too. He also reminded reporters that there are two organic laws regarding elections in Thailand…
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Anonymous complaint against Bangkok governor candidate causes probe
The House committee on corruption and misconduct prevention and suppression plans to probe a Bangkok candidate for governor after an anonymous party sent a complaint to the House committee chairman last month. The complaint said the candidate’s wealth was unusual, and he had committed wrongdoing. A committee spokesperson said the probe will start soon. The candidate, Suchatvee Suwansawat, said he…
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Leader of Pheu Thai Party calls on PM to dissolve parliament, hold snap election
After a solid win for the Pheu Thai Party in Sunday’s Bangkok by-elections, the party’s leader has called on the Thai PM to dissolve parliament and hold a snap election. Chonlanan Srikaew has welcomed the win and said PM Prayut Chan-o-cha should now dissolve parliament so that fresh elections can be held. Speaking yesterday, he said the government’s failure to…
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The show must go on: House to meet this week, despite 12 MPs having Covid-19
Parliamentary meetings scheduled for Wednesday and Friday of this week will go ahead, despite 12 MPs and 13 parliamentary officials being infected with Covid-19. Thai PBS World reports that House Speaker, Chuan Leekpai, says the meetings will take place, as his advisor, Dr. Sukit Atthopakorn, has stated, “the House must be able to function”. Sukit added that additional preventative measures…
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Thailand and Saudi Arabia patch things up 33 years after Blue Diamond Affair
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha visited Saudi Arabia earlier this week, and Thailand and Saudi mended relations they broke 33 years ago following the Blue Diamond Affair in 1989 where a Thai cleaner in Saudi’s royal palace stole diamonds worth US$20 million from the prince. The next year, three Saudi diplomats and a businessman trying to recover the gems were killed. According…
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Mixed feelings on new Move Forward guburnatorial candidate
Thailand’s Move Forward Party has selected a candidate for Bangkok’s gubernatorial election, the party’s spokesperson Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn. Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat was proud to introduce Wiroj, saying no other candidate had “the party DNA” like him. Many of the party’s supporters agree with Pita, but some observers say Move Forward failed to find a more experienced, qualified candidate. One programme…
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Former MP to file lawsuit over campaign poster using his photo to mock him
One former member of parliament has filed a lawsuit against another politician for using a photo of him to mock him in a campaign poster. The image shows the former MP of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party, Sira Jenjaka, under a magnifying glass behind a Move Forward Party candidate with a message calling for volunteers to help catch those who…
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Prayut’s Saudi Arabia trip a ‘breakthrough’ after 30 years of tense relations
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is currently in Saudi Arabia in an effort to restore Thai-Saudi economic and diplomatic relations. Experts say the trip, which is the first government trip between the two countries after 30 years, is a huge breakthrough after three decades of tense relations between the two countries. Relations first turned cold in 1989 after the Blue Diamond Affair…
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Thailand’s Digital Economy and Society Minister infected with Covid-19
Thailand’s Digital Economy and Society Minister has Covid-19. The minister, Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn, is currently in hospital with a fever and headache. He says he may have contracted the virus on a trip to Chiang Mai last Thursday. It remains unknown which variant he contracted. The infection has not reached his lungs, however, other members of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party…
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Thai PM sings away his political blues
With some of the former members of the ruling Palang Pracharat coalition turning against him (and forming their own new political party), and the expulsion of 21 renegade MPs, it’s been a septimana horrabilus (bad week) for the Thai PM. But, when things are bad it’s time to whistle a happy tune, or at least break out into song whilst…
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First meeting of Thailand’s Lower House this year adjourned due to lack of numbers
The first meeting of the year for Thailand’s House of Representatives, which was meant to begin yesterday, had to be abruptly adjourned because the minimum number of MPs required were not present. 227 MPs were present, a number 10 short of the minimum number required to conduct the proceedings. Half of the House’s 473 members were required to attend. In…
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Thammanat Prompow, 21 MPs booted from Palang Pracharat
After a meeting of the executive members of the Palang Pracharat Party yesterday, a shocking 22 MPs including popular but controversial Secretary-General Thammanat Prompow who made headlines after details of an arrest and jail time in Australia came to light recently. Once a rockstar in the ruling party who called himself the main artery of the party, Thammanat was pushed…
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Book publishers known for controversy raided by Bangkok police
Just in time for the National Book Fair coming to Bangkok, police this morning rated a Bangkok book publisher known for issuing material against the grain of normal Thai society. Fa Diew Kan, which translates to “Same Sky”, was raided at about 10:30 this morning by around 30 police officers. The officers came with a warrant to look for books “about…
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PM Prayut orders a higher fence around Government House
In a move sure to inspire the impression of an open government fighting for the interests of the people, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed the relevant government departments that the border fence must be raised around Government House. The order was put in place saying that over the years the roads around the government building have been resurfaced multiple times,…
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Phuket to 8 foreign reps: your citizens must obey Covid-19 rules
When children in class misbehave, teachers contact the parents and tell them to keep their kids in line. But what do you do when foreign tourists are misbehaving in your country? Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew met today with Consul Generals and Honorary Consuls from 8 countries to ask them to warn their citizens to follow the rules – especially Covid-19…
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Investigation finds no evidence PM paid MPs for votes
A House Secretariat investigation says it’s found no evidence that PM Prayut Chan-o-cha paid MPs to vote for him. The probe was in response to an accusation from an opposition politician in September. Wisarn Techathirawat, a Pheu Thai MP for Chiang Rai, accused the PM of paying 5 million baht to a number of MPs in return for votes of…
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PM Prayut approves panel to evaluate Section 112 cases
While many protest and fight for repeal or reform of Thailand’s harsh lèse majesté laws – also known as Section 112 – PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has agreed to a plan proposed by the pro-monarchy KLA Party to convene a panel to review all complaints filed before proceeding with charges. The panel will be made up of experts who would evaluate…
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POLL: Chadchart still the lead candidate for Bangkok Governor
In the most recent NIDA Poll, Chadchart Sittipunt still holds a commanding lead in the candidate field for the Bangkok Governor election coming up later this year. Chadchart has been favoured in the election for months and is running as an independent having served previously in the government of former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in the role of Minister of…
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Thai Civilised Party requests committee for legalising prostitution
One party in Thailand’s government has set its sights on legalising prostitution. The Thai Civilised Party has requested to create a House committee to examine and analyse the prospect of prostitution being legalised in Thailand. The push to decriminalise is at least in part an effort to cut down on corruption as if sex for money was legal, government officials…
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Ready and willing: Anutin says he’s prepared to be next PM and lead Thailand
Thailand’s somewhat controversial health minister, Anutin Charvirakul, says he’s ready to lead the country and become the next PM. According to an ASEAN NOW report, Anutin was addressing a gathering of his Bhumjaithai Party in the northeastern city of Nakhon Ratchasima, also known as Korat. His comments have been picked up by the Thai media, with Sanook posting a photo…
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