Showing 1 - 10 of 921
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.
All eyes trained on coalition maths
News, Chairith Yonpiam, Published on 07/02/2026
» As the election campaign enters its final stage, with more than 53 million eligible voters heading to the polls tomorrow, experts are making their final tea-leaf readings.
Pheu Thai bets again on loyal red-shirt base
News, Anucha Charoenpo, Published on 06/02/2026
» The Pheu Thai Party's call for supporters to wear red shirts today appears to be a last-ditch effort to re-energise its traditional "red-shirt" base.
Will poll be breakout or more of same?
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 06/02/2026
» As Thais go to the polls this Sunday, the most consequential question is whether Thailand will finally break out of its debilitating cycle of political instability and economic underperformance that has marked the past two decades. The signs and signals suggest otherwise -- at least not yet.
No easy road ahead for PP greenhorns
News, Veera Prateepchaikul, Published on 02/02/2026
» The latest opinion polls, conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida) and Rajabhat University ahead of the general election on Sunday, have put the People's Party (PP) ahead of its rivals and its leader, Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, as the most favoured prime ministerial candidate among voters.
Built on graft
Oped, Postbag, Published on 22/01/2026
» Re: "Living in Thailand's age of impunity", (BP, Jan 17).
Three main parties and two directions
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 16/01/2026
» Although Thailand's election campaign is reaching fever pitch ahead of voting day on Feb 8, the dynamics and contours of its final outcome can be gleaned from past polls over the last 25 years. Only once in January 2001, as was indicated in this space last week, were voter results fully honoured and carried out. Other elections were either upended by military coups or manipulated by judicial interventions.
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.
Thailand's political trajectory in 2026
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 09/01/2026
» What happens in Thai politics this year and the immediate horizon will be determined by the upcoming election on Feb 8. While contesting political parties are in full campaign mode, the contemporary history of Thai polls so far in the 21st century is not encouraging. Only once in the past 25 years have voting results went the way they were meant to, in accordance with the popular will. Whether the vote in four weeks will follow the same pattern will depend on whether the conservative establishment gets its preferred outcome.