Thai politics

  • Thailand video news

    Thai PM suspended from duty by Charter Court | GMT

    Price of instant noodles up by one baht. Thai PM suspended from duty by Charter Court, Deputy Prawit becomes acting PM. . All this and more on today’s Good Morning Thailand.  

  • Thailand video news

    Tenant fined 140,000 baht for keeping dog in Bangkok condominium | GMT

    Hotly-contested bill favouring small parties in elections killed. Southeastern Bangkok submerged as rain lashes central Thailand. Court issues arrest warrant for Sia B’s father, the ‘real owner’ of Mountain B. Tenant fined 140,000 baht for keeping dog in Bangkok condominium. All this and more on today’s Good Morning Thailand.

  • Thailand News

    Thailand News Today | New traffic rule to affect entire country

      Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha warned Thailand to brace itself for another deluge of water this month. The 68 year old PM ordered governors in provincial areas to prepare for potential flooding after weather forecasters predicted more heavy rainfall until the end of the month. Thailand witnessed a heavy taste of what is to come over the past 24 hours…

  • Thailand video news

    Thailand News Today | Poll says 64% Thais had enough with PM Prayut

      A new poll from the National Institute of Development Administration (or NIDA) showed that the majority of people want PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to finish his role as prime minister at the end of his eight year term on August 24. There have been different interpretations of the current constitution and whether the prime minister is eligible to continue his…

  • Thailand video news

    Fighting corruption in Thailand & Stealing V.I.P chairs | GMT

    Kanchana Buri Skywalk to open in old town next year. Thailand aims to complete a high-speed rail link with China by 2028. Freshmen are forced to dance naked at university hazing rituals in Thailand. Thieves steal VIP chairs from Liverpool – Man U match in Bangkok. Thai PM faces uncertain outcomes as censure debate kicks off today. Thai military commanders…

  • Economy News

    Budget bill boost to government

    PM Prayut Chan o cha’s government received a boost today when Parliament passed the first reading of an almost 3.2 trillion baht draft budget bill for the 2023 fiscal year starting October 1. After a 3-day debate, the bill passed with 278 votes in favour, 194 against, and two abstentions. Pm Prayut says the bill will help the nation restore…

  • Crime News

    Chadchart’s commitment to purging the metropolis of corruption

    Newly elected governor Chadchart Sittipunt revealed he plans to stamp out corruption as part of his flagship “Bangkok’s Nine Good” policy. Corruption in Thailand has been a national issue for decades. The kingdom is ranked 110th out of 180 countries evaluated in Transparency International‘s 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index. The index examines public sector corruption, countries whose public sectors are perceived to be…

  • Thailand video news

    Thailand News Today | Thai Govt announces “zero road deaths” policy

    Thailand’s PM Prayut Chan-o-cha announced that the government aims to cut the number of road deaths by almost 2 thirds by 2027. Thailand has the ninth highest road death rate in the world, with 32.7 deaths per 100,000 people, according to the WHO. Thailand’s target for 2027 is to cut this number to 12 people per 100,000. It also announced…

  • Politics News

    PM defends government’s performance, wants to move Thailand forward

    The Thai PM has defended his government’s performance since seizing power in a military coup 8 years ago. According to a Bangkok Post report, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says he’s led Thailand through “crisis after crisis” and is doing his best to move the country forward. The PM says at the time he seized power, the nation was deeply divided and…

  • World News

    Thailand’s PM Prayut invites US to invest in supply chains

    As part of his visit to the US, Thailand’s PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has attended the 2nd ASEAN-US Special Summit in Washington last week. Now, he is inviting the US to invest or set up supply chains in Thailand to fill gaps created by the Russia-Ukraine crisis. And not the least the ongoing disruption of China’s part in the supply chain…

  • Politics News

    ‘Yellow shirt’ leaders facing possible prison sentence

    The Thai Appeals Court has upheld a previous court decision over the involvement of 5 key Thai politicians and activists in violent 2008 demonstrations. A Thai TV news presenter and 3 former leaders of the disbanded People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), widely known as the “Yellow Shirts”, face a year in jail without suspension over their involvement in the 2008…

  • Bangkok News

    Upcoming campaign to urge Bangkok to vote in governor election

    Just 2 weeks ahead of Bangkok’s election for a new governor, the Election Commission will launch a campaign tomorrow urging the public to vote. The elections are to be held on May 22. Tomorrow (Monday), the campaign will be held at City Hall, and trucks with loudspeakers will drive through all 50 of Bangkok’s districts. Speakers will urge people to…

  • Northern Thailand News

    Boxing champion joins Thailand’s Palang Pracharath Party in Khon Kaen

    A big name in Thailand’s boxing scene has now joined Thailand’s Palang Pracharath Party, and will represent the next election in Constituency 10 of the Khon Kaen province. The boxer, 49 year old Somrak Khamsing, won a gold medal in the US in 1996. After he retired from boxing, he became an actor. He then moved into politics. The Palang…

  • Thailand video news

    A car bomb exploded over the weekend | Thailand News Today

    Starting off the news today with some updates on the case of The crowd control police officer who killed an ophthalmologist with his motorbike at a zebra crossing in Bangkok in January. ….he has now been sentenced to prison today. The officer will serve a 1 year and 15 day prison sentence and pay a 4,000 baht fine. He has…

  • Thailand video news

    Is Thailand Tourism going to Boom or Bust? | GMT

    Thailand Pass Updates – Tourists can apply for the pass starting 29th April. Tourist arrivals to Thailand have surged during the first quarter of 2022. Anzac Day and Thailands soft power is sweet. All this and more coming up on todays Good Morning Thailand

  • Politics News

    Thailand’s Prayut switcharoo… praises rapper Milli

    Even though Thailand’s PM Prayut Chan-o-cha filed defamation charges against rapper Milli last year, via the Computer Crimes Act, the PM is now suddenly praising Milli following her random sticky rice and mango stunt at Coachella. The government chief whip said that the prime minister appreciates Danupha’s (her Thai name) performance, which caused sticky rice and mango to sell out at…

  • Politics News

    Members of Thailand’s Move Forward Party banned from renewing passports

    A member of Thailand’s Move Forward Party told the press today that she and two other party members had been banned from renewing their passports on suspicion that they have committed treason. MFP member Pannika Wanich made the announcement after meeting with Phaya Thai police today, who she said made the order for the ban. The Department of Consular Affairs…

  • Northern Thailand News

    Political activist and Move Forward member found hanged in north-east Thailand

    A member of the Move Forward political party, who disappeared on Monday, has been found hanged in the north-eastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima. Thai PBS World reports that the body of 27 year old activist Anan Lokate, aka “Boy”, was found hanged by a police kiosk in the district of Chaloem Phra Kiat yesterday. The secretary-general of the Move Forward…

  • Thailand video news

    Thailand News Today | Missing Expat found in Psychiatric ward in Thailand

    In September, the new Yellow Line monorail train will begin testing between Lat Phrao and Samrong and the Pink Line monorail train will begin testing between Min Buri and Khae Rai. The Yellow Line is 92 percent completed, while the Pink Line is a step behind at 86 percent. Thailand’s Mass Rapid Transit Authority controls the monorail/Skytrain services (MRTA). The…

  • Economy News

    Thailand’s Prayut to hold public forum on economy

    Thailand’s PM Prayut Chan-o-cha announced yesterday at a cabinet meeting that the government will hold a public forum on the economy. The date for the forum has not yet been announced. PM Prayut said the government is trying to ensure better welfare for elderly citizens and vulnerable groups in Thailand. He said it wants to introduce measures to help medium-sized…

  • Politics News

    UPDATE: Bangkok court approves detention of former Democrat deputy leader

    UPDATE After over 20 women came forward this week accusing former politician Prinn Panitchpakdi of sexually harassing and assaulting them, the Bangkok South Criminal Court has now approved detention for Prinn this morning (Sunday). Three of the alleged victims lodged complaints with Lumpini police, and the police requested that Prinn be detained for further questioning about the allegations. Prinn attended…

  • Pattaya News

    Pattaya mayoral hopeful vows to revive tourism and nightlife

    The mayoral candidate for Pattaya’s We Love Pattaya party, Poramese Ngampiches, told the Associated Press yesterday that he wants the Chon Buri province to continue attracting tourists throughout the whole year. Bali Hai Pier officials say there are currently over 20,000 tourists a day visiting Koh Larn, and Poramese said he wants to keep up this momentum. Chon Buri, specifically Pattaya and…

  • Bangkok News

    Alleged victim of sexual assault by politician withdraws from Bangkok election

    A woman who is alleging former Democrat party deputy leader Prinn Panitchpakdi raped her, has announced yesterday she was withdrawing from the Bangkok city councillor election. The woman, Anna Vidhyaphum, said in a Facebook post that she wanted to show that her accusation against Prinn is not politically motivated. Anna’s party, The Ruam Thai United party, issued a statement yesterday…

  • Bangkok News

    Independent candidate leads Bangkok’s race for a new Governor

    An independent candidate is leading the record pack of 31 running in the forthcoming election for Bangkok’s Governor. In Bangkok’s first Governor election in 9 years, Chadchart Sittipunt, a former Pheu Thai heavyweight, is favoured by 38.8% of 1,362 eligible voters polled in the Bangkok area. The poll was conducted from April 5-7. The runner up at the moment is…

  • Bangkok News

    Prayut advises Bangkok governor hopefuls on drainage system, population density

    Following a record registration of 31 candidates for Bangkok’s gubernatorial election, PM Prayut advises the future governor, whoever that will be, to continue solving the city’s problems. Prayut offered a few pointers on several pressing issues, including Bangkok’s drainage system and population density, saying, “May I offer moral support to all Bangkok governor candidates”. Prayut said in order to fix Bangkok…

  • Politics News

    Thai MP permanently banned from politics for using forest reserve land for farm

    A former MP of Thailand’s Palang Pracharath is now permanently banned from Thai politics for using forest reserve land in Ratchaburi province for her farm. The issues around the MP, Pareena Kraikupt, using land began to surface in 2019. The Royal Forest Department then investigated the land, and concluded that Pareena’s poultry farm encroached on it. The department asked the…

  • Bangkok News

    Highest ever number of gubernatorial candidates register in Bangkok

    The highest ever number of candidates, 31, have registered for Bangkok’s upcoming gubernatorial election on May 22. This will be the 11th gubernatorial election in Bangkok, and the first held in nine years. The chairman of Bangkok’s election commission said all candidates will be invited to the government complex on Chaeng Wattana tomorrow to be briefed on the election guidelines. Right…

  • Thailand Protest News

    Thai student activist charged with lèse majesté will be allowed to study in Germany

    The South Bangkok Criminal Court ruled yesterday that a student activist charged with lèse majesté who was barred from studying abroad in Germany earlier this month will now be allowed to study there. The activist, Rawisara Eksakul, nicknamed “Dear”, won a prestigious scholarship for a Master of Management in Non-Profit Organisations. The court was told that Ms Rawisara holds a…

  • Politics News

    In Thailand, Move Forward candidate more popular than Prayut in PM poll

    While the largest percentage of Thais, 27.6%, said they were “yet to see anybody suitable for the post of Thai PM, Move Forward Party candidate 41 year old Pita Limjaroenrat is slightly ahead of current PM Prayut. 13.4% of respondents prefer Pita, while 12.7% prefer Prayut. This means that Pita is now the country’s most preferred candidate, followed by Prayut, then…

  • Thailand News

    Lèse-majesté charges against political activist dismissed due to lack of evidence

    A political activist charged with lèse-majesté offences and violating the Computer Crimes Act has had the charges against him dismissed. Security officials brought the lawsuit against 31-year-old Harit Nahaton in 2016, claiming he committed lèse-majesté offences while chatting to 48-year-old Nattharika Warathanyawit on Facebook Messenger between January and April 2016. Lèse-majesté, or section 112 of the Criminal Code, prohibits criticising,…