News
Mar 29, 2023
A 15-year-old girl charged with royal defamation following a complaint filed against her by a royalist activist was arrested on Tuesday (28 March) and is now detained at a juvenile centre.
Mar 29, 2023
A 25-year-old activist was arrested on Tuesday (28 March) for spray-painting an anarchist symbol and the number 112 with a strike through it, signifying a protest against the royal defamation law, onto the wall of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, located within the Grand Palace.
Mar 27, 2023
Members of the volunteer protest guard group We Volunteer have been sentenced to 20 days in prison and fined 6000 baht each for clearing razor wire left by the police at the Uruphong intersection following several protest marches in late 2020.
Highlight
11 Mar 2023
Following the February 2021 coup in Myanmar and subsequent violence against protesters, a large number of people from Myanmar came to Thailand seeking safety and are now living as refugees in urban areas. Some came with valid visas, while some are undocumented, but all are unrecognised as refugees and unprotected under Thai law.
11 Mar 2023
During the pandemic, Thai musicians and workers in the music industry faced unemployment as bars and entertainment venues were ordered to close. Many had to sell their instruments to keep themselves afloat, or make a living doing whatever else they could, while some left the industry altogether.
In "Unplugged: Music in Crisis," Thai musicians talk about their lives during and after the pandemic, and the future of creative economy in Thailand.
8 Mar 2023
Following the pro-democracy protests of 2020 - 2022, many activists were required to wear an electronic monitoring (EM) bracelet to be granted bail. Among them are Chonthicha Jangrew and Panadda Sirimasakul.
In “Electronic Monitoring Devices: Online Shackles,” young activists talk about their lives after being charged for joining protests and being ordered to wear an electronic monitoring device while waiting for trial.
Feature
Mar 16, 2023
No government has ever admitted that the building of dams is the cause of “poverty” among the people of the Mekong River. The fish of the river and their economic value have been taken away in the name of development that comes with the construction of dams. Mekong people have seen their options for survival restricted and narrowed. The poverty of their lives is not something that has just appeared out of the blue. Their fate lies entirely in political decisions, despite the government’s attempts to make the issue apolitical.
Mar 16, 2023
Fermented fish jars, once a sign of prosperity in Thailand's northeast, are now a grim reminder of a culinary tradition threatened by the construction of dams on the Mekong River.
Mar 13, 2023
Thai sex workers and supporting organisations are petitioning for a legalisation of the sex industry. In the meantime, the illegal status of the industry leaves loopholes for corruption, human rights abuse, and inequality.
Round Up
Dec 17, 2022
A monarchy supporter with a large online following was arrested on Saturday, hours after he claimed to have raised nearly 700,000 baht to cover the cost of what he described as a ritual to extend the life of King Vajiralongkorn’s eldest child.
Nov 17, 2022
Thailand is currently hosting the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week, taking place between 14 – 19 November at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (QSNCC), with the 29th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting on 18-19 November. Meanwhile, activist groups and civil society organizations are planning series of protests over the week against what they see as an attempt by the government to boost its legitimacy and greenwash the country’s major polluters.
Oct 15, 2022
A week has passed since the Northeastern massacre that left 37 dead. In the wake of the heartbreaking carnage, authorities and the media have begun to reflect on past errors and look for a way forward.
Interview
Nov 24, 2022
On the same day various leaders from Asia-Pacific nations mingled at a shiny convention center in Bangkok, photographer Chalinee Thirasupa was among a huddle of journalists taking photos of a phalanx of riot police close to Democracy Monument. A glass bottle was suddenly hurled toward her face.
Nov 16, 2022
The Thai office of Amnesty International over the past few months has increasingly turned to tackle more domestic human rights issues. An interview with the Country Director reveals that this decision has had a great impact, even threatening the organization’s existence, and including death threats against Amnesty personnel.
Nov 9, 2022
Two representatives of Buddhists in the Deep South group have gone to Malaysia to meet leading figures in the insurgency. The conversation hints at positive signs toward greater public participation in the peace process.
Opinion
Jan 20, 2023
A recent letter from the Royal Thai Police to the Ministry of Justice indicates that the police now want to delay implementation of the newly-touted points system for improving driver behaviour.
Oct 24, 2022
Siripan Nogsuan Sawasdee, Chulalongkorn University's professor of political science, portrays an insightful outlook of how Thailand responded to Covid-19 from day one in parallel with many various pretexts and dimensions across the globe.
Pick to Post
Mar 31, 2023
After a 15-year-old girl was detained pending trial on a royal defamation charge on Wednesday (29 March), Amnesty International notes how children continue to be targeted by the authorities for dissent and how recent use of the royal defamation law shows the shrinking of civic space in Thailand. They also called for the authorities to drop charges against activists and protesters and refrain from arrest and pre-trial detention of peaceful protesters.
Mar 26, 2023
The Thai authorities must not deport around 100 people from Myanmar, including children, interrogated after immigration and military officers raided apartment buildings in Mae Sot last week, allegedly to search for members of the anti-coup Civil Disobedience Movement and the People's Defence Force (PDF), said Amnesty International.
Mar 17, 2023
A new report by the CIVICUS Monitor rates civic space in Thailand as 'repressed,' as the royal defamation law continues to be used to criminalise dissent and spyware has been used against activists. Protesters were also prosecuted and faced excessive force while concerns remain about a restrictive NGO bill.
Prachatai Links
Human Rights Links
Politics Links
Economics Links
Academic Links
Support Prachatai
