Showing 1 - 8 of 8
Dispel steel bar doubts
Oped, Editorial, Published on 27/10/2025
» The decision by the Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI) to release 40,000 deformed steel bars, confiscated in the wake of the State Audit Office (SAO) collapse, has stirred controversy. The move came only shortly after the new government took shape, raising questions over timing and transparency.
Defections test government pact
Oped, Aekarach Sattaburuth and Mongkol Bangprapa, Published on 18/09/2025
» About 50 national and local politicians from the southern province of Chumphon on Wednesday defected from the United Thai Nation Party (UTN) to the Bhumjaithai Party (BJP), raising questions about whether the ruling party can still honour its agreement not to form a majority government.
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.
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.
Ultra-right wing
Oped, Postbag, Published on 13/04/2023
» Re: "UTN leader stands up for patriotism, tells 'nation haters' to leave," (BP, April 9).
Prayut's future increasingly unclear
Oped, Chairith Yonpiam, Published on 08/04/2023
» As the May 14 election countdown has begun, Pheu Thai continues to take a healthy lead, with a strong chance of winning a landslide or even an avalanche -- if it gets over 310 out of 500 seats.
Prawit manoeuvres for his political life
Oped, Chairith Yonpiam, Published on 28/01/2023
» Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwon, in his capacity as leader of the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP), has rebranded the ruling party from being conservative right-winged to more liberal, using reconciliation and an end to colour-coded conflict discourse as a selling point.
Thailand's political charade exposed
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 27/01/2023
» On the face of it, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha for eight years, has touted himself as "an outsider" who was above the political fray, seizing power in a military coup and taking top office to help Thailand in its hour of need amid debilitating protests and polarisation in 2013-14. Now that the general has thrown his hat in the ring under the United Thai Nation (UTN) Party locally known as "Ruam Thai Sang Chart" to contest the upcoming election, the charade is over.