Showing 1 - 10 of 19
Implications of conservative triumph
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 13/02/2026
» The incumbent and conservative Bhumjaithai (BJT) Party has surprisingly swept Thailand's Feb 8 election with a commanding win. With the previously poll-leading and progressive People's Party (PP) coming in a distant second, Thailand appears headed for a conservative coalition government revolving around BJT and like-minded junior partners. Known for its conservative stance and being pro-status quo, it would not be surprising if the BJT-led coalition government, led by Prime Minister-elect Anutin Charnvirakul, were not challenged by the Constitutional Court, the Election Commission, and other supervisory agencies, which have derailed and dissolved reform-minded winning parties in the past.
50-party race comes down to just this
Oped, Veera Prateepchaikul, Published on 09/02/2026
» By the time this opinion piece goes into print, the unofficial outcome of Sunday's election will already have been announced by the Election Commission. Which of the two front-running parties, Bhumjaithai and the People's Party, has emerged the winner and earned the right to form the new government will also be known.
No-confidence and poll date in flux
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 14/11/2025
» Amid the drumbeats of military conflict with Cambodia, Thailand's political environment is evidently unruly and unsettled. The minority government of Anutin Charnvirakul, the third prime minister from the third largest-winning party since the latest national election in May 2023, is hard-pressed to stay in office beyond the four-month "Memorandum of Agreement" between his Bhumjaithai Party (BJT) and the People's Party (PP), the largest camp in the national assembly.
Anutin's new cabinet is a mixed bag
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 26/09/2025
» The composition and size of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul's 36-member cabinet suggest that he intends to stay in office for as long as possible, clinging to the terms of the government-enabling Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and calling an early election only if circumstances make it unavoidable.
Thaksin exit seals party's dismal fate
Oped, Veera Prateepchaikul, Published on 08/09/2025
» The Pheu Thai Party is collapsing like a house of cards. The last few days have seen a once great party lose all its pride but not its thirst for power.
Khao Kradong row claims new victims
Oped, Veera Prateepchaikul, Published on 11/08/2025
» The Land Department has been given seven days to explain the Khao Kradong land issue. The timeline seems rather short for a land controversy which has bubbled away for decades.
DSI skips deep probe
Oped, Editorial, Published on 07/03/2025
» Political temperatures dropped yesterday after the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) board decided to investigate only the money laundering part of the alleged collusion in last year's Senate election.
Which way for MotoGP?
Oped, Editorial, Published on 05/03/2025
» It is music to the ears as Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra vows that she will put politics aside and think business in deciding whether to renew a contract to host the MotoGP.
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.
Old guard prevails in Senate elections
Oped, Chairith Yonpiam, Published on 29/06/2024
» For those wishing for a wind of change in Thai politics, the Wednesday Senate election was a disappointment. Old power factions made substantial gains, dominating some 70% of the seats for the 200-member Upper House, while those representing the pro-democracy force grabbed just a few.