Thailand
Thailand political crisis
Uncertainty looms as Thai parliament blocks Pita Limjaroenrat from leading new government

Wednesday was nothing short of high drama in Thai politics as Pita Limjaroenrat, the leader of the Move Forward Party, was also temporarily suspended from serving as a legislator by the Constitutional Court, just as parliamentarians were debating his eligibility to stand for the prime minister’s post

In aftermath of Thai elections, question of government formation remains

Kheetanat Wannaboworn of Focus on the Global South, provides insights into the current state of affairs in Thailand following the recent elections.

Anti-junta parties dominate Thai elections but may struggle to form government

The Move Forward Party and the Pheu Thai Party emerged as the largest parties in the parliament. However, pro-junta parties still have a better chance of forming the government

Prayut government takes a beating in first Bangkok governor election since 2014 coup

Independent candidate Chadchart Sittipunt won the governor’s election, hinting at a decline in the popularity of the incumbent prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha

Thanathorn persecuted in Thailand
Thai opposition leader Thanathorn indicted of royal defamation for questioning vaccine management

The charges leveled against opposition leader Thanathorn were based on statements he made in January 2021 in a livestream that questioned the vaccine procurement contract and subsidies granted to a pharmaceutical company owned privately by the monarch

Thailand land rights activists prosecuted
Land rights activists in Thailand face prosecution for sit-in protest in Bangkok

A total of 16 activists have received summons for participating in a two-week long protest in Bangkok for land rights and the rights of the Indigenous Bang Kloi community

Thai fishing net makers withdraw prison labor contracts over scrutiny of abuse

Pressured over reports of widespread forced labor in Thailand’s prisons, the country’s biggest manufacturer of nets has announced it will withdraw its contracts

Villagers in Southern Thailand secure key victory against controversial industrial estate

After nearly two weeks of protest outside the government offices in Bangkok, the Prayut Chan-o-cha government agreed to halt the controversial Chana Industrial Project until a comprehensive review

Protests continue in Thailand demanding the recall of lèse-majesté law

The contentious provision that is at the heart of the protests is Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code or the lèse-majesté law which criminalizes a broad range of actions concerning defamation or insult to the monarchy and the larger royal family.

Sweeping top court judgment endangers Thailand’s pro-democracy protests

In a ruling during a treason trial of three activists, the Constitutional Court found that demands for monarchy reforms are akin to overthrowing the monarchy. Activists fear the Chan-o-cha government will use the ruling to crackdown on opposition and the ongoing protests

Thailand protests
As petition against Thailand’s lèse-majesté law receives over 200,000 signatures, pressure on government grows

As authorities in Thailand have escalated the political crackdown on activists through prosecutions and lawsuits, civil society groups and progressive movements continue demanding legal changes, accountability, and the release of political detainees

Thailand Demonstration against lèse-majesté
Thai activists renew push for repeal of lèse-majesté law with petitions and demonstrations

Different groups are trying to mobilize for repealing Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code, which they argue has been weaponized as a tool for political repression by the pro-military government