Politics

  • Thailand News

    Crying wolf: Thai senators take legal action against insults and threats

    Several Thai senators announced they are processing legal action against all those who insulted and threatened them after they blocked Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat’s path to becoming prime minister. A bizarre move considering those senators are subverting the course of democracy and the will of the people of Thailand. Pita failed to secure enough votes to become…

  • Thailand News

    Thai organisations challenge Senate’s prime ministerial authority

    Amidst ongoing political turmoil in Thailand, a collective of forty organisations including pro-democracy bodies, non-governmental agencies, and civil society factions made a united call. The appeal, presented to the media yesterday, demanded governmental respect for the General Election held on May 14. It emphasised recognition of the Move Forward Party due to its public support and backed its leader for…

  • Thailand News

    Stepping forward: MFP aims to rewrite Senate’s role in selecting Thai Prime Minister

    The Move Forward Party (MFP) today proposed a revision to Section 272 of the Constitution in order to reduce the power of the Thai Senate and the role of its senators in selecting the Prime Minister of Thailand. Under Section 272 of the Constitution, senators appointed by the last military-led government have the privilege to sway the PM vote. Section…

  • Thailand News

    Words as ammunition: Bhumjaithai Party MP demands ‘shooting’ law for people insulting Thai monarchy

    Controversial Bhumjaithai Party Deputy Leader Chada Thaiseth yesterday demanded a new law be introduced to shoot people who insult the Thai monarchy. The 62 year old MP believes Thai people should be allowed to turn vigilante and shoot people who criticise the monarchy without consequence. Chada made the shocking announcement in Parliament after Pita Limjaornerat, the leader of the Move…

  • Thailand News

    Election letdown: MFP leader falls short of prime ministerial votes in Thai race

    Pita Limjaroenrat, the leader of the Move Forward Party (MFP) and the top vote-getter in the General Election 2023, fell short of securing enough votes from the members of Parliament and senators to become the Thai Prime Minister. Despite obtaining 323 votes, Pita failed to reach the required threshold of 375 votes. The newly elected President of Parliament, Wan Muhamad…

  • Thailand News

    Racket restriction: Thai senators and EC officers ‘served’ ban from Thailand badminton court

    A badminton court in northern Thailand announced on its official Facebook page that Thai senators and Election Commission (EC) officers and their family members are banned from visiting or playing on the premises. The Panda Arena badminton centre, in the northern province of Uttaradit, announced on Facebook… “Our badminton court does not allow senators and EC authorities, along with their…

  • Thailand News

    Protest called today amid EC’s action in termination of future Thailand PM Pita

    A human rights lawyer and political activist today took to social media to invite people to the protest outside the Bangkok Art & Cultural Centre (BAC) in Bangkok. Arnon Nampha’s call to action comes in the wake of the Election Commission of Thailand (EC) seeking the Constitutional Court’s ruling on the termination of the potential future Prime Minister Pita Limjaroenrat,…

  • Thailand News

    Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha resigns from party and exits politics

    The Prime Minister of Thailand, Prayut Chan-o-cha, yesterday announced that he is resigning from the Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party and stepping out of the political arena for good. The official Facebook account of the Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party, also known as the United Thai Nation Party, posted the resignation announcement of PM Prayut at about 4pm yesterday. In…

  • Thailand News

    Thai police ban book critiquing monarchy, citing national security threat

    Royal Thai Police have prohibited the circulation of an upcoming book that scrutinises the nation’s monarchy. The prohibition was issued in response to the book’s perceived slander towards the royal institution, according to a police statement in the Royal Gazette. The contentious publication, ‘Rama X: The Thai Monarchy under King Vajiralongkorn,’ both in its content and cover, is considered to express…

  • World News

    Frustration boils in Marseille’s troubled neighbourhoods amid slow change

    Two years ago, at the tender age of 17, Amine helplessly witnessed his sibling’s life ending in a blaze, his charred body discovered from a burnt car’s boot. His brother, who had sadly succumbed to the world of drugs and trafficking before his tragic demise, was a victim of the lawless underworld flourishing in Marseille’s most infamous neighbourhoods. Today, at…

  • Thailand News

    Dozy deputy: Prawit, once again, caught napping on the job in Parliament

    Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan has been caught at it again, snoozing on the job, during a Parliament meeting. It’s not the first time Prawit, affectionately known as “Uncle Pom,” has been caught nodding off at work. The 77 year old politician has always defended himself against the accusations saying he was only “resting his eyes,” just like Sleeping Beauty.…

  • Thailand News

    Move Forward Party MP accused of physically assaulting girlfriend

    A Thai woman filed a complaint against a Move Forward Party (MFP) MP claiming he physically assaulted her. The MFP has taken immediate action by initiating investigations into the matter. Screenshots of the 26 year old Thai woman’s injuries immediately circulated on Thai social media after the posts appeared yesterday on her Instagram account. The posts contained images of a…

  • Politics News

    Thai election concerns rise due to prolonged ballot box transport in Buri Ram

    Concerns have been raised over the prolonged transportation time of ballot boxes in Buri Ram, following the recent general Thai election. A group of ten complainants from Non Suwan and Nong Ki districts filed a request with the Election Commission’s Buri Ram office, questioning why it took four and a half hours to transport the ballot boxes across a 20-kilometre…

  • Politics News

    Move Forward Party opposes alcohol ban on Buddhist holidays

    Prominent members of the Move Forward Party (MFP), which recently claimed victory in elections, have voiced their disagreement with the Thai government’s ban on alcohol sales during significant Buddhist holidays, arguing that it restricts freedom. Amarat Chokpamitkul, an MFP executive, expressed her disagreement with the prohibition of alcohol sales on Vesak Day, a holiday that marks the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment,…

  • World News

    US House passes bill to suspend US$31.4tn debt ceiling, averts default

    The US House of Representatives has passed a bill to suspend the US$31.4 trillion debt ceiling, with both Democrats and Republicans supporting the measure to avoid a catastrophic default. The legislation now moves to the Senate, which must enact it and get it to President Joe Biden‘s desk before the government runs out of funds to pay its bills. The…

  • Thailand News

    Thai minimum wage: Coalition parties and industry council engage in discussions

    Eight Thai political parties agreed to support a Thai minimum wage increase to 450 baht (US$13) per day and continued discussions with the Federation of Thai Industries about moving the bill forward. Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of the Move Forward Party (MFP), emphasized the excellent cooperation within the coalition government. The MFP leader informed INN News that the atmosphere during the…

  • World News

    Japan prime minister’s son to resign amid scandal of staged news conference photos

    The son of Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Shotaro Kishida, will resign as his father’s aide following a scandal involving photographs of him and other family members pretending to hold a news conference at the official residence. The prime minister announced the decision, stating that his son’s behaviour was “inappropriate” for someone in an official position. Last week, a weekly…

  • Politics News

    Biden assures no US default as debt ceiling deadline looms

    US President Joe Biden has reassured the nation that there will be no default on the country’s debt, even as lawmakers went on a 10-day break without reaching an agreement on raising the borrowing limit. The government estimates it could run out of money to service its debts by June 1, and failure to repay loans could potentially lead to…

  • Business News

    Baht volatility looms amid political risk and new government formation

    Kasikornbank (KBank) has warned investors that the formation of a new government and political risk may result in increased baht volatility over the next month. The bank forecasts that the baht will fluctuate between 33.80-35.40 per US dollar during this period due to various internal and external factors. The primary determinant is the direction of the US Federal Reserve’s policy…

  • Business News

    Biden and McCarthy hold productive talks on US debt ceiling deal

    Negotiations between Democratic President Joe Biden and top congressional Republican Kevin McCarthy have progressed as both parties aim to reach a deal to raise the United States’ US$31.4 trillion debt ceiling and prevent a catastrophic default. Following a four-hour meeting at the White House, McCarthy stated that negotiations had improved and would continue. Although several issues remain unresolved, he predicted…

  • Politics News

    MFP leader promises reasonable minimum wage increase without economic damage

    Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat recently assured that a coalition government under his leadership would not immediately raise the minimum daily wage to 450 baht but would ensure a reasonable increase without causing damage to industry or the economy. Limjaroenrat, the party’s prime ministerial candidate, made this promise during a meeting with representatives of the Federation of Thai…

  • Politics News

    China downplays Micron ban as individual case, not broader US firm targeting

    China is attempting to mitigate the fallout from its recent decision to partially ban sales of US chipmaker Micron‘s products in the country on national security grounds. The ban has been challenged by Washington, which views it as a deliberate targeting of US businesses in response to export controls imposed on China. However, Chinese authorities, including the foreign ministry and…

  • Politics News

    White House reports progress in talks to avert US debt default

    The White House has reported some progress in the ongoing discussions with Republican negotiators to prevent a catastrophic US debt default before the June 1 deadline. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that both sides must understand that they won’t get everything they want. The talks between US President Joe Biden and Republicans in Congress are set to continue,…

  • Politics News

    China bans US Micron chips, escalating global chip industry risks

    China’s recent ban on certain sectors using chips from United States-based Micron Technology has highlighted the potential risks faced by the global chip industry amidst rising Sino-US trade tensions. The move against Micron, the largest US memory chipmaker, is widely perceived as retaliation for Washington’s attempts to limit Beijing’s access to crucial technology. This comes as the Group of Seven…

  • World News

    Greece’s political earthquake: Mitsotakis wins, Tsipras suffers huge setback

    Greece experienced a “political earthquake” as the conservative Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his centre-right New Democracy party secured a significant electoral victory. With nearly 41% of the vote, the party was just five seats short of a majority. Alexis Tsipras, the centre-left rival and leader of the Syriza party, congratulated Mitsotakis as Syriza only managed to secure 20% of…

  • Politics News

    Move Forward Party drops coalition partners amid supporter backlash

    Thailand’s Move Forward Party (MFP) made a recent change to its proposed coalition. The party has decided to drop the New and Chartpattanakla parties from its proposed coalition line-up, following a backlash from its supporters. MFP secretary-general Chaithawat Tulathon announced yesterday that the party will now focus on lobbying for Senate support for its leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, to become premier,…

  • Politics News

    Thailand’s Democrats deny seeking to join Move Forward Party-led coalition

    Prominent members of Thailand‘s Democrat Party dismissed claims that they are considering joining the coalition led by the Move Forward Party (MFP). These rumours emerged on Thursday night after the formation of a 10-party alliance, suggesting that a group of winning Democrat candidates close to acting party secretary-general Chalermchai Sri-on were seeking to approach the MFP and Pheu Thai to join…

  • World News

    China commerce minister to meet US officials amid tense relations

    China‘s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao is set to visit the United States next week to meet with US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and US Trade Representative Katherine Tai, according to Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for China’s embassy in Washington. The visit comes as the US aims to engage with Beijing to repair strained relations. Liu announced the plans during an…

  • Business News

    Move Forward Party policies to boost retail, banking, and tourism stocks

    The new coalition government led by the Move Forward Party is expected to have a positive impact on retail, banking, and tourism stocks, as per analysts. The party’s policies aim to enhance the economy’s efficiency by reducing monopolies and increasing welfare for all, says Asia Plus Securities (ASPS). The sectors likely to benefit from these policies include retail, tourism, transport,…

  • World News

    Montana becomes first US state to ban TikTok over Chinese surveillance fears

    Montana becomes the first US state to ban the Chinese-owned TikTok app, with Governor Greg Gianforte signing legislation that prohibits Google and Apple’s app stores from offering it within the state’s borders. The ban is set to take effect on January 1, 2024. TikTok, which has over 150 million American users, has faced increasing calls for a nationwide ban due…

  • Thailand News

    Meet Ivana Kurniawati, wife and supporter MFP’s Rangsiman Rome

    A fascinating aspect of Thai politics recently emerged in the online world when photos of Rangsiman Rome, a Move Forward Party List MP, began circulating. Instead of focusing solely on Rangsiman, many netizens became intrigued by the beautiful woman standing behind him in a black outfit, Ivana Kurniawati, the stunning Indonesian wife of Rangsiman. Ivana recently married the 30 year…

  • Thailand News

    Thailand’s economy defies global recession fears with post-election boost

    Thailand’s economy is predicted to gain momentum during the last three quarters of this year, despite the looming threat of a global recession, partly due to the boost from the May 14 General Election, according to analysts. The country’s GDP growth for the first quarter was 2.7% year-on-year, surpassing the expected 2.3% and marking an improvement from the 1.4% growth…

  • World News

    Council of Europe gathers to discuss future prosecution of Russian leaders

    A year after Russia’s expulsion from the Council of Europe (CoE) due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the leaders of the 46-nation human rights body convened in Iceland to take preliminary steps toward the potential prosecution of Russian leaders. The summit’s main focus was the creation of a “register of damages” to document evidence for use in a special…

  • Thailand News

    Military-backed senators refuse to back MFP form a government

    Military-backed senators yesterday told the Move Forward Party (MFP) that they won’t be helping them form a government. The MFP need at least 376 members to form a coalition government but Thai senators said that they won’t be getting any votes from them. They will have to find the votes from somewhere else if they have ambitions to run the…

  • Thailand News

    Record breaking! Bangkok has highest turnout in voter history

    The 2023 General Election witnessed the highest voter turnout in Bangkok’s history. According to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), over 74% of eligible voters cast their ballots in the election yesterday. Representatives from the BMA announced the unofficial election result from 6,360 polling stations in Bangkok in the early hours of this morning. Out of the 4,479,155 eligible voters, 3,339,664…

  • World News

    Erdogan and Kilicdaroglu face off in historic Turkish presidential runoff

    Voters in Turkey gave President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu another opportunity yesterday to make their case for the future of the country. A close result means neither secured 50% of the votes and will face each other in Turkey’s first presidential runoff on May 28. Erdogan, 69 years old, rose from humble beginnings in Istanbul to…

  • World News

    Biden administration warns of catastrophic consequences if US defaults on debt

    The United States government is facing a potential economic catastrophe if a debt deal is not reached in the coming days. The possibility of the country’s first-ever default is causing concern, as negotiations between Democrats and Republicans are expected to continue this week. The two parties have been unable to come to an agreement, despite warnings from officials and bankers…