https://www.scmp.com/rss/318733/feed Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and his junta government, formally known as the National Council for Peace and Order, took power after the bloodless coup on March 22, 2014, that they said was to end six months of political deadlock aimed at removing the government of former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Thailand’s most popular political figure Pita Limjaroenrat has exhorted the public to fight apathy and vote in droves at a February 8 election for his reformist party, which remains the biggest threat to the power of the country’s entrenched elite. Pita led the reformist People’s Party – then called Move Forward – to win the last election in 2023 on a record 76 per cent voter turnout, stunning the establishment as it gobbled up seats from political dynasties and surged into the heartlands of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3341222/thai-comeback-kid-pita-urges-decisive-peoples-party-win-break-establishments-grip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3341222/thai-comeback-kid-pita-urges-decisive-peoples-party-win-break-establishments-grip?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 05:41:48 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Thailand’s Constitutional Court will decide whether to remove prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office for breaching ethics later on Friday, a ruling that threatens the survival of her family’s political dynasty and could unleash fresh chaos on the turbulent kingdom. It is another make or break day in court for the Shinawatra family, which has been hugely influential in Thai politics for over two decades, but has faced coups and court rulings driven by the conservative... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3323505/make-or-break-time-thailands-shinawatra-clan-paetongtarn-faces-removal-office?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3323505/make-or-break-time-thailands-shinawatra-clan-paetongtarn-faces-removal-office?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Aug 2025 00:00:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was cleared on Friday of royal defamation charges, relieving one of the threats to his embattled dynasty, which has dominated Thai politics for two decades. Thaksin’s family has long jousted with the nation’s pro-military, pro-monarchy elite, who view their populist movement as a threat to Thailand’s traditional social order. Their tenure as a defining force in Thai politics has unfolded in a saga of coups, street protests and court cases as they... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3322797/thai-ex-pm-thaksin-cleared-royal-insult-charges-political-dynastys-future-uncertain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3322797/thai-ex-pm-thaksin-cleared-royal-insult-charges-political-dynastys-future-uncertain?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Aug 2025 08:10:28 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Thailand’s billionaire Shinawatra dynasty has dominated the kingdom’s politics for 25 years, but its rule has been hit by coups and court cases – including this week’s suspension of the prime minister. Thaksin Shinawatra amassed a telecoms fortune before driving the family’s entry into politics, elected to power in 2001 and again in 2005, when he led the first Thai party ever to secure an overall majority alone. His populist policies won the devotion of rural voters but the ire of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3316572/thailands-dynasty-distress-shinawatras-quarter-century-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3316572/thailands-dynasty-distress-shinawatras-quarter-century-power?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Jul 2025 02:38:07 +0000 A prominent American academic was detained on Tuesday and charged with insulting Thailand’s monarchy – in a rare case of a foreign national falling foul of the kingdom’s strict lèse-majesté law. Paul Chambers, who has spent more than a decade teaching Southeast Asia politics in Thailand, is in pre-trial detention awaiting a decision on his bail request, lawyer Wannaphat Jenroumjit said. “He denied the charge,” Wannaphat said. Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his close family are protected from... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3305719/us-academic-faces-jail-term-insulting-thai-king-raising-concerns-over-free-speech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3305719/us-academic-faces-jail-term-insulting-thai-king-raising-concerns-over-free-speech?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Apr 2025 13:25:54 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Proud father to Thailand’s youngest-ever prime minister, a billionaire returned from the wilderness to the top of Thai power, and a one-time electoral star writing a sequel to one of Southeast Asia’s most remarkable modern political sagas – at the ripe old age of 75, Thaksin Shinawatra is back. He’s been pardoned from the convictions that drove him into 15 years of self-exile, with a third person bearing his surname – his daughter Paetongtarn – in the prime minister’s office. But experts warn... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3275669/back-square-one-thailand-confronts-ghosts-its-past-shinawatra-restoration?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3275669/back-square-one-thailand-confronts-ghosts-its-past-shinawatra-restoration?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Aug 2024 04:30:10 +0000 Nathaniel Schochet Nathaniel Schochet Thailand has long been a key ally of the United States, with both nations seeking to continue to nurture strong military and economic relationships. However, since the military’s 2014 coup, Thailand has increasingly turned towards China for support. Despite Washington’s best efforts to lure Bangkok back into its orbit, Thailand’s recent domestic and international actions indicate that a realignment with the West is unlikely any time soon. Last year’s elections did present a glimmer of hope, when... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3274472/how-thailands-political-turmoil-complicates-ties-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3274472/how-thailands-political-turmoil-complicates-ties-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Aug 2024 08:30:08 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen The sudden ousting of Thailand’s prime minister could drag the country further into political turmoil but China is expected to be able to weather the uncertainty, observers say. In a 5-4 decision on Wednesday, Thailand’s Constitutional Court ruled that prime minister Srettha Thavisin, who took office almost one year ago, breached ethics standards for appointing a cabinet member who served a jail term 16 years ago. The decision came a day after Beijing announced that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3274646/china-ties-strong-enough-weather-thailands-political-turmoil-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3274646/china-ties-strong-enough-weather-thailands-political-turmoil-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Aug 2024 13:00:16 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Thailand’s Constitutional Court dissolved the pro-democracy Move Forward Party (MFP) and slapped a 10-year political ban on its executives on Wednesday for attempting to reform the country’s royal defamation law during its winning campaign for last year’s general election. The ruling effectively wipes out the votes of 14 million people who had hoped for sweeping changes to one of Asia’s least equal societies; stubs out the political career of party frontman Pita Limjaroenrat and nudges Thailand... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3273585/thai-court-dissolves-election-winning-move-forward-party-bans-its-leaders-politics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3273585/thai-court-dissolves-election-winning-move-forward-party-bans-its-leaders-politics?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Aug 2024 09:52:27 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Thaksin Shinawatra, Thailand’s divisive two-time former prime minister, will be indicted for royal defamation over media comments made nearly a decade ago, a potential sign of a conservative backlash against a government dominated by his loyalists. The 74-year-old billionaire, the nation’s most influential politician over the last two decades, faces the kingdom’s tough lese-majeste law, which shields the powerful monarchy from criticism, over an allegation that he defamed the monarchy in an... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3264528/thailands-ex-pm-thaksin-face-trial-royal-defamation-amid-conservative-backlash-against-his-influence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3264528/thailands-ex-pm-thaksin-face-trial-royal-defamation-amid-conservative-backlash-against-his-influence?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 May 2024 06:51:03 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones The decision by Thailand’s Constitutional Court to launch an ethics probe into Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, which could see him removed from office over a disputed cabinet appointment, is a “show of force” from old powers accustomed to leveraging the judiciary against civilian administrations, experts say. The petition against Srettha, accepted by the court on Thursday, was filed by forty conservative senators from the outgoing upper house over his appointment of Pichit Chuenban as minister... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3263950/ethics-probe-thai-pm-srettha-show-force-countrys-old-powers-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3263950/ethics-probe-thai-pm-srettha-show-force-countrys-old-powers-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 May 2024 07:22:50 +0000 Thailand’s election commission on Tuesday passed a resolution to request a court to dissolve the opposition Move Forward party (MPF). The move followed a ruling by the Constitutional Court in January that said Move Forward, which won last year’s general election, had violated the constitution with its plans to change a law against insulting the monarchy, saying the campaign was a hidden effort to undermine the powerful crown. “There is evidence that Move Forward undermines the democratic system... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3255073/thailands-poll-body-asks-court-disband-move-forward-party-which-won-most-seats-last-years-election?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3255073/thailands-poll-body-asks-court-disband-move-forward-party-which-won-most-seats-last-years-election?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Mar 2024 07:43:21 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones The parole of ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is proving as divisive as his time in power, with critics on the left and right of Thai politics saying justice has not been served by the release of a man who has turned the wheels of the kingdom’s chaotic politics more than any other figure over the last 20 years. The 74-year-old’s circuitous journey from a political star and champion of the poor to a fugitive nemesis of the elite – and now an elderly returnee to Thailand allowed to live at... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3252442/thaksins-parole-stirs-anger-thailand-double-standards-across-political-spectrum?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3252442/thaksins-parole-stirs-anger-thailand-double-standards-across-political-spectrum?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Feb 2024 10:00:50 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra arrived back at his Bangkok home from police hospital early on Sunday, just six months after his dramatic return to the kingdom from 15 years of self-imposed exile. The controversial billionaire, twice elected premier and ousted in a 2006 military coup, was jailed for eight years on graft and abuse-of-power charges upon his return in August. But his sentence was cut to one year by King Maha Vajiralongkorn within days of his return, and the government... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3252308/thailands-ex-pm-thaksin-leaves-police-hospital-day-parole?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3252308/thailands-ex-pm-thaksin-leaves-police-hospital-day-parole?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Feb 2024 00:05:23 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Jailed former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will be freed on Sunday, the kingdom’s prime minister has said, just six months after returning from 15 years of self-imposed exile. The controversial billionaire, twice elected prime minister and ousted in a 2006 military coup, was jailed for eight years on graft and abuse-of-power charges upon his return to Thailand in August, but within days had his sentence cut to one year by King Maha Vajiralongkorn. Speaking to reporters on Saturday... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3252267/jailed-ex-thai-leader-thaksin-be-released-sunday-pm-srettha-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3252267/jailed-ex-thai-leader-thaksin-be-released-sunday-pm-srettha-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Feb 2024 03:49:31 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Jailed former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is to be freed, the government said on Tuesday, possibly as soon as the weekend – just six months after returning from 15 years of self-imposed exile. The controversial billionaire, twice-elected premier and ousted in a 2006 military coup, was jailed for eight years on corruption and abuse of power charges in August, but within days had his sentence cut to one year by King Maha Vajiralongkorn. Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong said on Tuesday the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3251804/thailands-jailed-ex-pm-thaksin-shinawatra-be-freed-justice-minister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3251804/thailands-jailed-ex-pm-thaksin-shinawatra-be-freed-justice-minister?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Feb 2024 03:43:43 +0000 Agence France-Presse,Reuters Agence France-Presse,Reuters Thai police have charged former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra with lèse-majesté over comments he made almost a decade ago, officials said on Tuesday, though it is not clear if the case will go to court. Thailand has some of the world’s strictest royal defamation laws protecting King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his close family, with each charge bringing a potential 15-year prison sentence. The constitution states the king must be held in a position of “revered worship”. Thai king reduces former... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3251126/former-thai-pm-thaksin-shinawatra-charged-royal-insult?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3251126/former-thai-pm-thaksin-shinawatra-charged-royal-insult?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Feb 2024 09:00:12 +0000 Reuters Reuters Thailand’s jailed former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra qualifies for release on parole next month due to his age and health, a corrections department official said on Wednesday. Billionaire Thaksin, 74, was hospitalised with high blood pressure and chest tightness within hours of his dramatic return to Thailand in August from 15 years of self-imposed exile to serve an eight-year sentence for abuse of power. His sentence was commuted to a year following a royal pardon. ‘Most popular’ Thaksin... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3248807/jailed-thai-ex-pm-thaksin-qualifies-special-parole-next-month-due-age-health?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3248807/jailed-thai-ex-pm-thaksin-qualifies-special-parole-next-month-due-age-health?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Jan 2024 13:00:18 +0000 Thailand’s offer to lead engagement with the military junta in Myanmar has raised questions about its agenda in dealing with its neighbour’s ongoing civil conflict and commitment towards Asean unity. By acting independently of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Thailand is giving the impression that the kingdom is propping up Myanmar’s regime even though it has valid concerns over rising crime and the influx of refugees in its border regions, analysts say. Last week, Thai Prime Minister... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3245870/thailand-accused-piggybacking-myanmar-sidelining-asean-leading-talks-junta?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3245870/thailand-accused-piggybacking-myanmar-sidelining-asean-leading-talks-junta?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Dec 2023 10:30:10 +0000 Thailand’s opposition Move Forward named a new leader on Saturday after Pita Limjaroenrat, who led the party to a stunning election victory in May, was thwarted in his efforts to become premier. Chaithawat Tulathon, a former political magazine editor, will head Move Forward, which won the most seats in parliament on a wave of youth and urban support over its anti-establishment policies. The progressive party will lead the opposition after conservative lawmakers and an unelected senate blocked... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3235580/thailands-opposition-move-forward-party-names-new-leader-amid-temporary-restructuring?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3235580/thailands-opposition-move-forward-party-names-new-leader-amid-temporary-restructuring?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Sep 2023 09:00:43 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Thailand Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said that he sees Thaksin Shinawatra playing a role in government once he is freed from prison – a sign of how the former premier continues to loom over the nation’s politics. “I believe he has value to add to the government and to the people of Thailand,” Srettha said during an interview in New York on Wednesday. The new premier is seeking to revive an economy whose growth has lagged neighbours during nearly a decade of military rule. Forced to flee in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3235287/thailand-pm-most-popular-thaksin-shinawatra-could-play-government-role-after-jail-release-unwise-not?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3235287/thailand-pm-most-popular-thaksin-shinawatra-could-play-government-role-after-jail-release-unwise-not?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Sep 2023 05:45:48 +0000 Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has been in office for less than a month, but the United States already sees its best opportunity in two decades to get its alliance with Thailand back on track after ties were strained under the previous military-backed regime. Srettha is in New York this week for the United Nations General Assembly and is reportedly bringing his incoming military chief for security talks with the US. While he is seeking an audience with President Joe Biden, he has indicated that... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3235164/us-thailand-relations-washington-spots-rare-chance-reset-under-new-pm-srettha-thavisin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3235164/us-thailand-relations-washington-spots-rare-chance-reset-under-new-pm-srettha-thavisin?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Sep 2023 06:02:10 +0000 Pita Limjaroenrat, whose reformist party won the most seats at Thailand’s national elections in May, resigned as its leader on Friday. The young challenger led the Move Forward Party (MFP) to the top spot in the polls, capitalising on a swell of voters furious at a near-decade of junta-backed rule. However, he was stopped from becoming prime minister by entrenched conservative blocs in parliament, and was later suspended as a member of parliament. Harvard-educated Pita, 43, was blocked from the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3234665/thailand-pita-limjaroenrat-resigns-move-forward-partys-leader-remain-involved-mfp?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3234665/thailand-pita-limjaroenrat-resigns-move-forward-partys-leader-remain-involved-mfp?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Sep 2023 07:24:51 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Thailand’s new government is set to unveil a number of fiscal stimulus measures next week that will include debt suspension for millions of farmers and small businesses, and a cut in energy prices to bolster growth in an economy still reeling from the pandemic. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, a former property mogul, will reveal his coalition’s policy priorities to the parliament on Monday. The main highlight will be a planned cash handout of 10,000 baht (US$280) each through a so-called... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3233615/new-thai-pm-unleash-stimulus-bolster-economy-still-reeling-pandemic-thailand-sick-person?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3233615/new-thai-pm-unleash-stimulus-bolster-economy-still-reeling-pandemic-thailand-sick-person?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Sep 2023 09:29:05 +0000 A Thai architect has been pelted with cow faeces in an unusual performance art piece inspired by an opposition party’s controversial decision to form a coalition government with army-backed parties. Thailand has endured months of political deadlock following May’s elections, when the progressive Move Forward Party (MFP) triumphed only to be blocked from power by the kingdom’s conservative establishment. Former MFP partners Pheu Thai stepped forward to lead, forging an 11-party coalition with... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3233236/thai-artist-pelted-faeces-show-protest-against-army-linked-government?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3233236/thai-artist-pelted-faeces-show-protest-against-army-linked-government?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Sep 2023 02:55:23 +0000 Aidan Jones,Agencies Aidan Jones,Agencies Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn commuted the eight-year prison sentence of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to 12 months, the Royal Gazette journal said on Friday, days after the divisive billionaire returned from a 15-year self-exile. Thaksin’s rapid rehabilitation from being the bête noire of Thailand’s arch-royalist establishment comes after a shock election win in May by the radical Move Forward Party, which won 14 million votes and rattled the elite with calls for deep... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3233103/thai-king-reduces-former-pm-thaksins-prison-sentence-one-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3233103/thai-king-reduces-former-pm-thaksins-prison-sentence-one-year?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Sep 2023 09:04:02 +0000 Reuters Reuters Thailand’s former premier Thaksin Shinawatra has submitted a request for a royal pardon, outgoing Justice Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said on Thursday, his latest move in a long-running power struggle with the country’s establishment. Thaksin, Thailand’s most famous politician, made a dramatic homecoming last week after 15 years abroad where he lived in self-exile to avoid prison. Thaksin arrived on a private jet and greeted supporters before being moved to a prison to serve an eight-year... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3232986/thailands-billionaire-ex-pm-thaksin-submits-royal-pardon-request?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3232986/thailands-billionaire-ex-pm-thaksin-submits-royal-pardon-request?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Aug 2023 11:38:41 +0000 Adam Simpson Adam Simpson More than three months after Thailand’s national elections – and many anti-democratic manoeuvres in parliament – the country finally has a new prime minister, Srettha Thavisin. But given the chaotic nature of Thai politics, this was perhaps not even the biggest news of the week. Hours before the partially military-appointed Thai parliament elected Srettha to the post, one of the country’s most prominent political figures, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, returned from his self-imposed... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3232332/thaksins-back-thailands-anti-democratic-forces-are-strong-ever?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3232332/thaksins-back-thailands-anti-democratic-forces-are-strong-ever?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Aug 2023 02:30:10 +0000 Thailand’s jailed former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was moved to hospital overnight, officials said on Wednesday, over concern about his heart and high blood pressure on his first night in jail following his historic return from self-exile. The latest condition of 74-year-old Thaksin, the billionaire founder of the populist juggernaut Pheu Thai party, was not clear on Wednesday and his representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Corrections Department said in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3231972/thailands-jailed-ex-pm-thaksin-moved-hospital-1-day-after-return-exile?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3231972/thailands-jailed-ex-pm-thaksin-moved-hospital-1-day-after-return-exile?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Aug 2023 02:09:43 +0000 Property mogul Srettha Thavisin will be Thailand’s 30th prime minister after lawmakers on Tuesday voted him into office, in a day of high political drama which also saw former leader Thaksin Shinawatra return to the kingdom after a 15-year exile and whisked straight to jail to serve an eight-year sentence. Srettha’s endorsement in parliament promises to end a deadlock which has gripped the country since the pro-democracy Move Forward Party won the May election and formed a coalition that... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3231857/thaksin-shinawatra-returns-thailand-after-15-year-exile?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3231857/thaksin-shinawatra-returns-thailand-after-15-year-exile?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Aug 2023 02:04:00 +0000 Thaksin Shinawatra, the billionaire ex-premier who sits at the heart of Thailand’s decades-long political rupture, is poised to return to the kingdom on Tuesday after 15 years in self-exile, just hours before parliament is due to vote for his party’s candidate for prime minister. “Tomorrow at 9am, allow me back to live in my homeland and [breathe] the same [air] as my Thai brothers and sisters,” the 74-year-old said in a tweet on Monday. Authorities say Thaksin will be met by police after he... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3231833/thailands-thaksin-shinawatra-poised-return-pheu-thai-seals-pact-ex-political-foes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3231833/thailands-thaksin-shinawatra-poised-return-pheu-thai-seals-pact-ex-political-foes?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Aug 2023 12:53:36 +0000 Thailand’s former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is set to return to the kingdom on Tuesday, the same day as a key parliamentary vote that could end a political deadlock, his daughter said. The 74-year-old billionaire was ousted in a 2006 military coup and has spent 15 years in self-exile. Thaksin has long said he wished to return home, but faces multiple criminal charges that he says are politically motivated. “On Tuesday, August 22, 9am I will pick up my father Thaksin at Don Muang... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3231630/thailands-ex-pm-thaksin-shinawatra-return-tuesday-same-day-political-stand-vote-daughter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3231630/thailands-ex-pm-thaksin-shinawatra-return-tuesday-same-day-political-stand-vote-daughter?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Aug 2023 04:21:16 +0000 Thailand’s Pheu Thai Party on Thursday gained support from a rival military-backed party, potentially boosting it in its bid to form a government ahead of a prime ministerial vote in parliament next week. The United Thai Nation Party or UTN, the party that fielded former coup leader Prayuth Chan-ocha as its prime ministerial candidate in the May election, said on Thursday that it will help Pheu Thai form a government. Prayuth, who is currently caretaker prime minister, first came to power in a... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3231444/thailands-pheu-thai-gain-backing-rival-party-form-government?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3231444/thailands-pheu-thai-gain-backing-rival-party-form-government?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Aug 2023 13:08:04 +0000 Thailand’s Constitutional Court on Wednesday rejected a request from the election-winning Move Forward Party to review a parliamentary decision that blocked its prime ministerial candidate from being renominated. The move all but kills off any hope of the progressive Move Forward leading the next government and paves the way for the legislature to hold another vote on a prime minister as soon as this week. Thailand has been under a caretaker government for five months and its biggest parties in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3231271/move-forwards-hopes-leading-thailands-government-dashed-court-challenge-rejection?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3231271/move-forwards-hopes-leading-thailands-government-dashed-court-challenge-rejection?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Aug 2023 09:00:14 +0000 Thailand’s political deadlock is turning potential homebuyers cautious in Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy, posing risks to the property market as some 50,000 flats are likely to be launched this year, analysts say. “The market is currently slow but quite stable in terms of supply and demand as local buyers are now adopting a more wait-and-see attitude, rather than making a decision,” said Wittaya Dave Apirakviriya, general manager of ThinkOfLiving.com and DDproperty, a unit of proptech... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3229572/pita-politics-and-policies-how-current-political-impasse-impacting-thailands-property-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3229572/pita-politics-and-policies-how-current-political-impasse-impacting-thailands-property-market?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Aug 2023 04:30:07 +0000 Thai former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra said on Saturday he was postponing his return from self-exile as the country struggles to overcome a political deadlock after the general election in May was won by opponents of military-backed parties. Thaksin, a former telecoms tycoon who became prime minister in 2001 and ousted by the military in 2006, has towered over Thailand’s politics despite having lived in self-imposed exile since 2008 to avoid corruption convictions which he said were... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3230086/ex-pm-thaksin-shinawatra-delays-return-thailand-self-exile-post-election-deadlock-persists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3230086/ex-pm-thaksin-shinawatra-delays-return-thailand-self-exile-post-election-deadlock-persists?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Aug 2023 05:25:56 +0000 Betrayal is a drink best served chilled in Thailand, as an innocuous chocolate-mint iced concoction takes the limelight – an unlikely symbol of the kingdom’s deep political divisions following May’s election. The country is deadlocked after the Move Forward Party (MFP), buoyed to victory by promises to end nearly a decade of army-backed rule, failed to get its reformist candidate elected prime minister, forcing it to bow out and allow coalition partner Pheu Thai to try to form a government. But... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3229840/why-some-thais-are-turning-their-back-chocolate-mint-iced-drink?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3229840/why-some-thais-are-turning-their-back-chocolate-mint-iced-drink?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Aug 2023 07:07:09 +0000 Even in his absence, Thaksin Shinawatra has remained at the fulcrum of politics in Thailand. The ex-prime minister fled into self-exile in 2008, spending his time in London, Dubai and Hong Kong, as court cases stacked up against him, two years after a coup toppled his elected government. But in under two weeks, Thaksin – Thailand’s only civilian leader to finish a term and then be re-elected – appears poised to finally return home. If he does so on August 10 as expected, he will return to a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3229310/thailands-thaksin-plans-return-amid-rumours-super-deal-placing-move-forward-opposition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3229310/thailands-thaksin-plans-return-amid-rumours-super-deal-placing-move-forward-opposition?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Jul 2023 03:30:15 +0000 Hundreds of people gathered in Thailand’s capital of Bangkok on Sunday to demand that conservative senators stop blocking the naming of a prime minister belonging to a winning coalition formed from May’s general election, a stance that risks a potentially destabilising political deadlock. Protesters braved heavy rain to show their anger and frustration toward the members of the Senate, who were appointed by the military and pride themselves as defenders of traditional royalist values, which they... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3228665/protesters-bangkok-call-senators-approve-vote-winners-choice-prime-minister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3228665/protesters-bangkok-call-senators-approve-vote-winners-choice-prime-minister?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Jul 2023 18:20:29 +0000 Thailand’s parliament will hold another vote for a prime minister next week which cannot include the leader of election winners Move Forward, a deputy speaker said on Thursday, after his renomination was blocked. Parliament’s move to deny Pita Limjaroenrat after a marathon debate on his eligibility on Wednesday triggered angry street protests, as a post-election crisis deepens two months after his party trounced military-backed rivals in an election. “A candidate can only be nominated once in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3228312/deputy-speaker-says-pitas-pm-bid-over-thailand-braces-more-turmoil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3228312/deputy-speaker-says-pitas-pm-bid-over-thailand-braces-more-turmoil?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Jul 2023 05:50:36 +0000 Thailand’s parliament voted in favour on Wednesday of voiding the prime ministerial nomination of Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat, after political rivals challenged the use of a rule under which he was put forward as a candidate. Pita was seeking to contest a second legislative vote on the premiership after failing to win the backing of the bicameral parliament last week. Thailand’s constitutional court suspended reformist Pita Limjaroenrat earlier in the day, just as Pita was... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3228200/thailands-pita-suspended-parliament-high-court-probes-media-ownership?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3228200/thailands-pita-suspended-parliament-high-court-probes-media-ownership?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Jul 2023 06:15:47 +0000 Thailand’s cheaper cost of living and more relaxed lifestyle are attracting more Hongkongers to make the move to the so-called land of smiles, boosting its property market as foreigners snap up flats. David Chan, 31, relocated to Thailand in 2019 and is now making a living as a real estate agent, helping other Hong Kong residents find property and settle into Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy. “My wife, a Thai, was not too happy with Hong Kong, so back in 2019, when the political unrest... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3227787/hongkongers-flock-thailand-snap-cheap-flats-southeast-asias-second-largest-economy-courts-foreign?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3227787/hongkongers-flock-thailand-snap-cheap-flats-southeast-asias-second-largest-economy-courts-foreign?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Jul 2023 02:00:20 +0000 The liberal front runner to become Thailand’s next prime minister said on Saturday he would withdraw his candidacy if parliament did not endorse him next week, after military-appointed lawmakers foiled his first attempt. Pita Limjaroenrat’s Move Forward Party (MFP) won the most seats in May elections, buoyed by young Thais eager for progressive reforms after nine years of army-backed rule in the kingdom. But the Harvard-educated millionaire’s campaign to lead the next government was knocked back... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3227837/last-chance-thailands-pita-who-says-only-one-more-shot-pm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3227837/last-chance-thailands-pita-who-says-only-one-more-shot-pm?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Jul 2023 10:52:53 +0000 Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of the election-winning Move Forward Party, failed in his first bid to gain the 376 votes from Thailand’s parliament he needs to become prime minister, after conservative lawmakers led by an unelected Senate blocked his bid for office. Pita had 324 endorsements, 52 short of the magic number. He said he “accepted” the result but would press on. “I have accepted that I couldn’t reach the 376 … but we got 324 with 200 abstentions,” he said, blaming “pressure” on a number... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3227551/thai-reformer-pita-limjaroenrat-seeks-votes-parliament-become-pm-millions-watching?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3227551/thai-reformer-pita-limjaroenrat-seeks-votes-parliament-become-pm-millions-watching?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Jul 2023 08:29:38 +0000 Thailand enters a crucial few days that will decide if a pro-democracy coalition led by Pita Limjaroenrat can form a government, or whether diehard conservatives will defy the votes of 14 million people and block his path to the prime minister’s office. The Thai electorate gave a withering verdict on nine years of the military-aligned government of Prayuth Chan-ocha in the May 14 elections, swinging behind the progressive Move Forward Party (MFP), which now leads a coalition of eight parties as... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3227405/thailand-pitas-pm-bid-stumbles-progressive-conservative-showdown-looms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3227405/thailand-pitas-pm-bid-stumbles-progressive-conservative-showdown-looms?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Jul 2023 05:34:12 +0000 Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha announced on Tuesday his retirement from politics, nine years after he took power in a military coup, and promised to stay in charge only temporarily. His announcement was widely expected after his military-backed United Thai Nation party was thumped in a May 14 election, in which it won just 36 of the 500 house seats. He will remain caretaker premier until a new government is formed. The former army chief, a staunch royalist, led a junta until an... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3227318/thailands-caretaker-pm-prayuth-chan-ocha-announces-retirement-politics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3227318/thailands-caretaker-pm-prayuth-chan-ocha-announces-retirement-politics?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Jul 2023 10:04:13 +0000 The front-runner to become Thailand’s next prime minister has declared himself a “Swiftie,” and asked Taylor Swift to bring her tour to the country almost a decade after the American superstar cancelled a concert in the wake of a military coup. Swift’s scrapped Bangkok show in 2014 – soon after a junta seized power – remains a sour subject among her Thai fans, many of whom live in the Thai capital where Pita Limjaroenrat’s Move Forward Party won nearly all House of Representatives seats in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3227005/thai-pm-hopeful-pita-limjaroenrat-swiftie-welcomes-taylor-swift-kingdom-make-2014-cancellation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3227005/thai-pm-hopeful-pita-limjaroenrat-swiftie-welcomes-taylor-swift-kingdom-make-2014-cancellation?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Jul 2023 02:57:10 +0000 Thailand will hold a joint session of its parliament on July 13 to elect a prime minister, taking a key step toward government formation almost two months after a group of pro-democracy parties swept the May election. The 750-member National Assembly will convene for the vote at 9:30am next Thursday, Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, newly-elected speaker of the House of Representatives, told reporters on Wednesday. The session may not be immediately conclusive and may be only the first of many, as a... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3226671/thailands-pita-limjaroenrat-confident-being-named-pm-parliament-sets-july-13-vote?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3226671/thailands-pita-limjaroenrat-confident-being-named-pm-parliament-sets-july-13-vote?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Jul 2023 22:30:13 +0000 The front runner to become Thailand’s next prime minister, Pita Limjaroenrat, said on Tuesday he had secured enough support from the Senate to take the top job. Pita’s progressive Move Forward Party (MFP) won the most seats at last month’s election as voters delivered a crushing rejection of military-linked parties that have run the kingdom for nearly a decade. To become PM, Pita has to muster a majority across both houses, including the Senate, whose 250 members were hand-picked by the last... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3225564/thailands-pita-claims-he-has-enough-support-senate-become-pm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3225564/thailands-pita-claims-he-has-enough-support-senate-become-pm?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jun 2023 12:30:16 +0000 While some of its neighbours have discarded authoritarianism and military rule to become successful democracies, Thailand has since 1932 been struggling to transform itself from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional one within a democratic setting. The current constitution, introduced in 2017 by the military junta, turned Thailand into a quasi-democracy. A move towards liberal democracy has not occurred because nobody in power has ventured out of their bubble to talk to other important... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3225159/thailand-rejected-old-ways-its-new-generation-move-democracy-forward?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3225159/thailand-rejected-old-ways-its-new-generation-move-democracy-forward?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Jun 2023 02:30:19 +0000