Showing 1 - 10 of 23
Swing voters poised to decide Feb 8 poll
News, Chairith Yonpiam, Published on 10/01/2026
» As the country edges closer to the new election, the public mood appears markedly different from last time, with a large proportion of eligible voters saying they remain undecided about which party to support.
BJT may seek wriggle room from pact
News, Chairith Yonpiam, Published on 20/09/2025
» Now that the dust has settled, it appears the Bhumjaithai Party (BJT) is discreetly abandoning its promises regarding the push to rewrite the charter -- a major condition in exchange for the People's Party's (PP) support for its leader's premiership bid.
Parties told to back casino bill
News, Chairith Yonpiam, Published on 08/04/2025
» Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has warned members of the ruling coalition to support the casino-entertainment complex bill, which is set to be deliberated in parliament on Wednesday, or face expulsion from the government, according to sources close to the matter.
Shifting alliances and fading juntas
Oped, Chairith Yonpiam, Published on 11/01/2025
» Thai politics is currently undergoing significant change. The junta and its conservative network, which held a grip on politics over the last two decades, are fading from the scene. Now, we witness ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra making his political comeback as a relatively new player -- the Bhumjaithai Party wields its power over the Upper Chamber.
'Game of Thrones', the Thai edition
Oped, Chairith Yonpiam, Published on 28/12/2024
» As Thaksin Shinawatra, ex-prime minister and the de facto leader of the Pheu Thai Party, is trying hard to tighten his grip on power, the local political landscape is shifting and changing. Politicians are now divided into three blocs: the ruling party, Bhumjaithai (BJT) and the People's Party, which, despite being the opposition, remains a strong force.
Thaksin reclaims political centre stage
Oped, Chairith Yonpiam, Published on 24/08/2024
» As the Pheu Thai Party was busy forming a new cabinet, Thaksin Shinawatra re-consolidated his power in the blink of an eye. Few, if any, political observers would have imagined this phenomenon in almost two decades of colour-coded politics that saw Thaksin, for much of that time, living in self-imposed exile.
People's Party rises from MFP's ashes
Oped, Chairith Yonpiam, Published on 10/08/2024
» The heavy axe that the Constitutional Court wielded on the Move Forward Party (MFP) earlier this week failed to stop its resurrection on Friday as the People's Party (PP).
Dept vows to speed up jail assault probe
Chairith Yonpiam, Published on 14/07/2024
» The Department of Correction (DoC) has pledged to investigate the allegation of sexual assault made by an inmate at Bang Kwang Central Prison, who claimed to have been drugged and raped by a cellmate earlier this year.
Senate poses risk to political reform
Oped, Chairith Yonpiam, Published on 13/07/2024
» The political dust has settled, as the new Senate was successfully installed this week. Yet, looking at the components of the upper chamber, a new kind of politics still seems like a distant dream.
S112 dominates the amnesty debate
Oped, Chairith Yonpiam, Published on 15/06/2024
» Three pending court cases involving former premier Thaksin Shinawatra and allegations of lese majeste violations, as well as bids to dissolve the opposition Move Forward Party (MFP) and remove Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin from office, have effectively thrown the country into political uncertainty, with investors taking flight.